To Assassinate a Prince
by lickmylegs
Summary: What happens when the Prince of Mirkwood falls for his assassin? Please r&r (Completed!)
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I own nothing that is remotely Tolkien but Elimay and her family is my creation.  
  
An Intruder and a fight  
  
Legolas opened his eyes suddenly. He had sensed something not quite right in the darkness around him that made him resurface from his reverie. Noiselessly he got to his feet and took up his bow, loading it with an arrow. The darkness was complete but he could still pick up the movement of the trees as they were swayed by the wind. He pushed the usual sounds of the night to the back of his hearing and tried to pick up on what had woken him. He stood as still as stone, only his blue eyes moving across the camp. At least he did not have any companions to protect as well as himself. The piercing cry of a hawk broke the silence but still the elf stood motionless, scanning.  
  
Suddenly, before he could detect anything, his bow was knocked brutally from his hands to the floor and a heavy force unbalanced him. He almost fell but righted himself after the shock of the sudden attack. He rolled out of the way of the dark shadow that had abruptly appeared over him, and grabbed his sword that lay by his bedding. He then narrowly missed the force of another blade as it sliced through the air towards his head. He was allowed to stand to his full height again as the intruder regained their balance, and he struck out with his fist, making contact. There was a grunt of pain and the shadow was momentarily dazed, so that Legolas could grab the figure and fling them to the earth. He went to pin them to the ground but was roughly kicked in the stomach. He was winded and in that time the figure made a break for it, having lost their sword in the darkness and having no means of defence against the stronger elf.  
  
Legolas quickly got back to his feet and leapt after the figure, easily hearing their undisguised sounds of flight. He pushed his legs on faster, hearing the sounds of flight ahead of him getting closer. He was nearly upon them. There was a surprised cry of pain up ahead as the person fell and Legolas caught sight of a sprawled figure through the darkness. He saw them get up but he was upon them and as they rose he grabbed the figure round the waist and pulled them off their feet. They were lighter than he thought and as he pulled them to his chest he discovered with a jolt that his attacker was undeniably female. As if to further prove the point, a female voice cried, "Get off me!" He received another kick but this time his arms did not loosen. He thought he had succeeded in the capture but his attacker seemed intent on escape and he soon felt like he was caught in a maelstrom. His hair was pulled; he was clawed across the face and kicked repeatedly in the attempt making him so angry that he did what was his only option. He hit the woman hard enough to knock her out but not to injure her badly. As she slumped motionless in his arms he heaved a sigh of relief and lifted her so that he could carry her back to his camp. There he tied her ankles and wrists tightly, taking no chances and covered her with a blanket. He could not see her face clearly for it was so dark but in their fight he found that she was a strong woman and headstrong. It made him smile for some reason, despite the fact that she had tried to kill him.  
  
He lay back on his bedroll after sorting out the state he was in from her attack, and returned thankfully to his rest for the day of travelling and the fight with the woman had exhausted him. 


	2. 2: Realisation

Realisation  
  
He was woken in the early morning by a loud cry of frustration and raised his head to see the woman struggling to break free. He got to his feet and went over to her to see with surprise that she was elven. Her black curls fell back from her pointed ears as she struggled and her stunning face was set into a determined and angered expression. The unusual beauty of the maiden mixed with the feisty strength she showed momentarily took Legolas aback. When he appeared above her she glared at him. "How dare you hold me!" she hissed, kicking the blanket off her to reveal her black and grey travelling garb. They fit nicely to her curvaceous body and Legolas remembered discovering that night that she was female by feeling those curves beneath his grasp. He merely stared with a stony expression at her and then turned away to kneel by the fire to stoke it. When he twisted back to her he found she was still glaring at him but had ceased her struggling. "Do you always treat a lady like this?" she spat. Legolas raised his dark eyebrows in amusement and chuckled much to her frustration. "Only ones that attack me in the middle of the night for no apparent reason." "Humpf," she said, lifting her chin up with an airy arrogance. "Would you care to offer me an explanation?" he asked, putting a pan of water over the newly blazing fire to boil. "No." "Well then, I shall have to take you to my father for trial. Most likely you will be sentenced to death for the king does not take lightly the attempted killing of a son." To his astonishment, the maiden did not seem even remotely surprised that he was a prince. He frowned and then realised. "You were sent by someone to kill me," he said, turning to face her fully. She was watching him coldly. "You are an assassin." For a brief moment he saw a hint of fear in her eyes but it disappeared again leaving him wondering if he had imagined it. "So what if I am?" "Tell me who sent you; I can offer you help..." The woman laughed disdainfully. "No you can't; no one can." Legolas regarded her for a moment longer then turned back to the fire to find that the water was boiling. "Fair enough." He heard her sigh deeply behind him and lay her head back down on the ground.  
  
When Legolas had packed his things away, he untied the woman's feet and led her through the forest. She walked before him silently but the prince could see that she was scanning the area for an escape route. They travelled through the day and came to the edge of the forest to see the White Mountains before them. Their route lay through the pass high in the peaks and then into Rohan. It was a long journey and Legolas didn't know how he would cope with the woman as a threatening presence. He had no doubt that she would try and make a break for it again and it was tedious keeping an eye on her all the time. He had tried to get some information out of her from time to time but had been unsuccessful.  
"Where are you taking me?" the woman asked, stumbling over a loose stone as they ascended the steep rise to the mountains. "Mirkwood. We will stop off at Edoras on our way so that I may greet friends. You have until then to tell me who sent you or your stay will be... uncomfortable." She glared back at him and then cast her eyes to her sword, which the prince carried in his belt. Then she turned to face the mountains ahead again. "Do you think you are scaring me with your threats?" she asked. "What you have in mind for me is nothing compared to what awaits me if I give anything away." Legolas frowned, sensing the sorrow in her voice. Maybe she was bound to follow the orders of her master. He could not imagine who her master might be though, to scare such a woman as this. "What is your name, lady? Can you allow me that?" "Elimay." Legolas was amazed at the beautiful name, and smiled. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood." "I know." His smile slipped slightly. "Of course."  
They continued up into the mountains and thankfully for Legolas, she did not make an attempt to escape. He could see she was patient though, and would wait for the best opportunity to arise.  
  
By the evening they came upon a cave that Legolas stayed in once before with Aragorn and Gimli on their way into Gondor. He tied Elimay's legs together again despite her protests, and set about making a fire in the entrance from dry wood he found on the mountainside. There were few trees on the slopes and all the wood he could find was dry gorse, grass and the occasional log from a fallen tree. It was not really sufficient and he knew the grass would create a lot of smoke so he dumped the collection of fuel a metre or so away from the entrance to the cave. When he entered again after lighting the fire, he did not see Elimay for a minute and he looked round. Then he saw her in the shadows near the back, asleep against the wall. He smiled and did not wake her while he cooked the dinner. He thought about Edoras and tried to remember the last time he had visited. It had been a while that was for sure. He looked forward to seeing Eomer and his sister Eowyn again and to wander the corridors of the castle that reminded him of his time with the fellowship. They had all gone their separate ways now, which saddened him. He had just been to visit Aragorn and Arwen in Gondor and now was on his way back to his home. The smell of cooking meat roused Elimay and she sniffed hungrily, hearing her stomach grumble. She raised her weary head from the wall and saw Legolas sitting just outside the entrance, tending to the dinner. She smiled, finding the scene somewhat amusing. She had never seen a prince fend for himself; all the ones she had met were hardly self-sufficient. Legolas stood and she awed at the full height of the elf and the display of such a lithe and strong body. He was a lethal killer under all that gentleness that she had had a hint of. She wondered what the elf looked like in battle. When she had fought with him the night she had tried to kill him she had not been able to free herself from his strong arms, which was saying something; she had been chosen for this task for she was the strongest and most skilled. The prince turned and came towards her carrying a tin bowl from which steam rose. Her eyes followed his fluid movements as he knelt down to her and put the bowl beside her. "I can't eat with my hands tied like this," she said, holding up her wrists before his face. His blue eyes regarded her unflinchingly. "Oh come on, night is closing in and the mountains are a dangerous place in the dark. I'm not stupid enough to make an escape." After a pause he reached his hands up to her wrists and untied the ropes, letting them fall to the ground. "Much appreciated prince," she smiled mockingly. "Do not call me prince," he told her, watching as she took up the bowl and ravished the food hungrily. It tasted too good to be true. She frowned. "Do you not like your title?" "I'd much rather be called Legolas," he told her evenly. Elimay stopped eating to observe him. Then she laughed and put her hand to her mouth. He frowned at her and looked slightly taken aback. "What amuses you so?" "Nothing," she shook her head. "It's just that of all the royalty I have met, I have never met one that refuses their title so passionately. But then again I have never met a prince as skilled and independent as you." Legolas raised his eyebrows in surprise. Had she just complimented him? Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she continued eating her meal. "You have met many then?" She shrugged. "Enough to know that you are unusual." He laughed and got to his feet with liquid ease. He went back to the fire and took up his own meal, leaning against the wall at the entrance and watching her as he ate. "Am I really that interesting?" she asked, after he had observed her for a long few minutes. "I'm just trying to figure you out. I cannot think who might have sent you to kill me." "I'm afraid it will have to remain a mystery to you." The prince scowled at her and then turned his head to gaze at the night outside. "I would get some rest," he said without looking at her. "Tomorrow will be hard travelling." "And I need to preserve my energy for killing you," she grinned. He instantly turned back to her but found that she had closed her eyes and lay on the floor. He sighed deeply and wondered why he did not feel alarmed at her threat. It was as if she was just playing with him. 


	3. 3: Healing Your Assassin

Healing your Assassin  
  
Legolas felt someone lightly slapping his face and he opened his eyes to see Elimay looking down at him. Her hand was on his cheek and threatening to slap him again harder. "We have company," she said, before he could say anything. He sat up as she stood again and looked to see that she had somehow managed to free herself of the ropes. He then realised what she had been saying and looked out of the entrance to the cave to see that indeed they did have company. A large group or orcs were coming down the mountain towards them. They had not spotted the two elves yet but it was only a matter of time. He withdrew back into the cave and turned to see Elimay was holding her sword. Before she could resist he had taken it from her hand. She glared at him and tried to get it back. "Legolas," she exclaimed in annoyance. "You can't fight all those orcs on your own and I'm not about to sit by as bait. I will not try to kill you, there would be no point for I have failed my task already." He frowned at her but did not make a move. "You need me, admit it." Reluctantly, having realised she was right, he gave her the blade back and took up his bow and arrows, turning back to the entrance but keeping a wary eye on her.  
The sound of the orcs became louder and soon they had spotted the cave and made for it for rest for the morning. Legolas was the first to attack, letting an arrow fly. It flew through the air and hit its target with breathtaking accuracy. No sooner as he had let that one fly, did he load another. Elimay leapt out with her blade and dodged one of his arrows as she made her way to the nearest orc. She spun and slashed out, cleanly cutting the head from the beast. She dropped to the ground as a sword cleaved at her and thrust out with her blade, felling the orc with an injury to the groin. Again she got to her feet and leapt into the air, spinning over an orc as it came towards her. Before she landed she kicked out her foot, landing it in the stomach of another. She fought tirelessly, revived by the night's rest, and as the numbers dwindled, was allowed to glance a few times on the prince as he fought with fatal power and precision. He had resorted to his blade and he was more a warrior prince that just a usual prince, giving a breathtaking display of acrobatics and combat. She realised then that she would never have been able to kill him; her master had sent her on a pointless mission.  
Suddenly pain hit her hard as a blade came out of nowhere and cut into her leg. She toppled over, crying out and spun so she landed on her back. There was a particularly large orc towering above her and as it came towards her for the final blow she lashed out with her sword. Her teeth rattled as her blade hit its metal armour and she dropped her weapon. As a last resort she thrust her good leg up connecting her knee between its legs where there was no armour. The impact jarred her knee but gave the desired effect, making the orc tumble towards her. It landed heavily on her, still alive and she almost gagged feeling it against her and smelling its terrific stench. The body over her was causing her injured leg more pain and she whimpered. Instinctively she cried out for the prince as the orc pushed itself up again. Its claws closed around her throat and she gave a strangled scream, feeling the grasp tighten. Black dots filled her vision as her lungs were starved of oxygen and she felt herself fading. Just as she lost unconscious she saw the orc suddenly fall, its head lopped clean off and the body was pulled from her to reveal the prince, her saviour. Then she passed out.  
  
As she regained consciousness she felt someone examining her injured leg. It ached painfully and her throat also stung where the claws had dug into her flesh. She was very thirsty and swallowed a few times, finding she had no saliva to ease it. She opened her eyes cautiously and found that her head hurt too. Her vision was momentarily blurred and then it cleared to reveal the grey roof of the cave above her. She lifted her head slightly to see Legolas. She blushed somewhat when she saw he had removed her leggings but then saw the wound that ran across her thigh. Lowering her head down again she put her hand to her throat. Legolas looked up at her movement and saw her touch the red claw marks that were still visible on her skin. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "Thirsty and painful," she said, her voice cracking. He smiled and reached over to pick up a water skin. He helped her raise her head and drink then finished dressing her wound before pulling the blanket over her. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, looking up into the prince's blue eyes. "What?" "Caring for me. I tried to kill you in case you forgot." He chuckled and gave her some lembas to nibble. "I haven't forgotten, Elimay. But I couldn't just leave you to bleed to death. I'm not as cold as you think." "Since when did I say you were cold?" He shrugged but didn't answer. Instead he said, "Rest now. You need to heal." "Yes prince," she smiled, and he rolled his eyes before getting to his feet and disappearing.  
Elimay chuckled at the situation. It was a strange situation indeed. It was if the prince had been worried for her. That was another thing that was rare in other royalty; he showed compassion towards others. For the first time she thanked her master for sending her on this mission.  
  
Elimay's sleep was plagued with dreams of what awaited her if her master found out that she had failed. She tossed and turned, calling out in her sleep. The pain in her leg filtered through into her dreams and vivid images of the torture and punishment filled her mind. She woke abruptly that evening, panting from the exhaustion of the nightmare, and immediately reached for the water skin by her bed. She gulped the cool liquid down greedily and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Then she looked around the dim cavern and saw the silhouette of the elf by the fire at the entrance. His blonde silver hair shone like moonlight by the light of the flames and she could hear him humming. He seemed to be inspecting his arrows with an intense concentration. Watching him relaxed her so she got to her feet with great difficulty and started to hop towards him. But he heard her movement and rushed to her help, making her smile. He put an arm round her waist so she could lean on him. Then he lowered her against the wall at the entrance and sat back down. "You were having a nightmare again?" he said. She nodded and sighed. "Will you tell me?" His eyes glittered as he watched her. She pulled the blanket round her and looked into the fire. "I dream of what my master will do to me when he finds that I have failed." "But he doesn't need to find out..." She looked up at him and frowned. "You don't understand. He will find out however much I hide." Legolas raised his eyebrows. This was the most he had gotten out of her about her past so far. "But how?" "He has one of the lost seeing stones. He can see my every move!" Legolas gasped. He had thought that the Palantir had been destroyed when Sauron was overthrown. He opened his mouth to question further but she interrupted with a tired voice. "Do not ask me anything else. Go back to your arrows for I like to watch." Legolas looked at her for another moment and then picked up his arrows again. Her intense gaze on his work did not bother him like it usually did when anyone else watched him. For some reason it calmed him as they sat there in silence, listening to the crackle of the flames. Once he had finished inspecting his arrows, he looked at back Elimay to find that she had fallen asleep again. Her dark tresses had fallen over one eye and she was starting to fall sideways. He lifted her up in his arms and carried her back over to her bedding, lying her down. She shifted and sighed in her sleep then smiled slightly. She did not appear to be having a nightmare anymore. She drifted in and out of sleep for another day and her leg healed quickly despite the lack of healing materials to hand. 


	4. 4: A Rocky Ride

Thank you to sweetazzhoney and DarkAngelPearl for their reviews; more is coming your way so keep watch! Much appreciated.  
  
A Rocky Ride  
  
One morning Elimay woke and her head felt so much clearer. The pain in her leg was almost gone and she found she could stretch without almost passing out. She sat up taking the blanket with her for it was cold, and found that the cave was empty. She looked around sleepily, rubbing her eyes and then stood, wrapping the blanket round her bare legs. The fire was just embers now but still gave off a warm glow so she stood by it, looking out into the dull morning before her. The sky was a dreary grey and the last stretch to the pass above could be seen clearly. A sound from outside alerted her and she quickly grabbed her sword. Legolas stopped suddenly, the blade zinging through the air freezing just millimetres before his eye. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise and let his eyes focus on the attacker. Elimay grinned back at him. "You should have made yourself known," she said, lowering the sword and propping it back against the wall. "Where have you been?" "Scanning the area for any danger," he answered, giving her a look of amusement then going to his bag. "Sit down and I'll have a look at that leg. It seems to me that you are well enough to continue the journey." Elimay smiled slightly and sat back down on her bedroll. After drawing some clean bandage from his bag he knelt beside her and pulled back the blanket. When he had removed the old bandage he saw that the wound was healing well and had stopped bleeding. "When we get to Edoras, I'll have to stitch it up but for now keep the bandage on so it doesn't get infected," he explained, wrapping the clean gauze round her thigh. "Yes doctor," she mocked. He rolled his eyes and threw her leggings to her.  
  
"Do you think you can travel?" She nodded and pulled on her trousers and then her boots. "Ah, it feels good to be decent again." He laughed and helped her stand again. She braided her hair so it was out of her face, and pulled her bag onto her back. "Lead on, prince."  
  
They continued up the mountainside and soon found themselves entering the pass. The walls of rock rose up on either side closing in on them and only a slit of grey sky could be seen above. The scene was colourless and drab and the end could not been seen from where they entered. A cold wind cut through the fissure and both elves pulled their cloaks tighter. "How you coping?" Legolas asked, turning to look at her. They were now about halfway through the pass and there was a glint of the end ahead. He could see Elimay was limping ever so slightly but knew she would not admit defeat. She shrugged. "Fine. I feel like there is something not quite right here though." Legolas nodded. He had said nothing, hoping she had not noticed it. "Yes. I feel it too..." Suddenly he froze and Elimay nearly walked into him. She too stopped, listening. The ground seemed to shake slightly, though it was only detectable by them as elves. Both looked up and saw the source of the vibrations. Great crags of rock had appeared over the gap and moved with an unbelievable fluidity for rock. "Rock giants," Legolas hissed. Elimay's brown eyes widened in fear and then she was running even before he told her too. There was a loud growl and a teeth-rattling crash as the giants threw rocks down into the gap, aiming for the fleeing elves. Ahead, she saw Legolas stop and raise his bow. He released an arrow faster than lighting and then another and another, raining the two rock giants. The arrows could not possibly break the giant's thick hide but it succeeded in confusing them for they were not bright. They swatted at the onslaught, pausing in their throwing for a minute. Legolas turned and followed behind Elimay, listening for the next rock. It just missed him and shattered on the ground in front of him. He rolled, dodging the shards but one cut his cheek. He did not pause for one second though, and raced on. He saw that Elimay was slowing from her injury and as he came up beside her grabbed her hand, pulling her onwards. She almost fell but he pulled her up again.  
And then they suddenly came to the end, and out onto the mountainside. They did not stop running though until they were sheltered behind a high rock face. Legolas knew the giants would not bother to venture out of the territory beyond the pass. They were safe.  
Once he had caught his breath he looked over at Elimay to find she was sat on the ground, clutching her leg. "You okay?" he asked, sitting beside her to rest. She nodded and lifted her head from the rock face. "Yeah." She looked at him and saw the cut down his cheek. Blood dripped down his face so she ripped a piece of material from her tunic and pressed it to his face. He seemed momentarily surprised at the gesture but did not protest. With her other hand supporting his head, she was amazed to feel how soft his skin was. A section of his hair blew over her hand and brushed against her skin like silk. She suddenly felt guilty that she had tried to kill such a beautiful being as this. She looked up to his eyes to see that he was watching her. She blushed and quickly looked away, taking the cloth from his cheek. It had stopped bleeding and all that was left was a scratch across his flawless skin. "There you go," she said, her voice just above a whisper. "We should get going before something else catches us up." She got to her feet and Legolas rose before her, still looking at her. "Are you sure your leg's okay?" She laughed at him and shook her head. "You should not worry so much. I am your assassin don't forget." He snorted and followed after her, now making their way down the mountain. Below they could see the grassy plains of Rohan and the towering turrets of Edoras. Beyond were the snaking Anduin River and the dark green blur of Fangorn.  
  
The afternoon turned into evening and an early darkness. The sun had refused to show itself at all that day and they were forced to make camp earlier. Secretly, though she did not admit it, Elimay was thankful for the early stop for her leg was causing her a large amount of pain. Legolas noticed her trying to hide her pained expressions but said nothing of it. She insisted on making dinner that night saying that Legolas had done it for the past three days. He went to collect more firewood while she cooked.  
  
When he returned he smiled at the rare sight. Normally a woman would be the first choice to cook but Elimay was no ordinary woman and to see her doing a 'woman's' job amused him. He was not one to stereotype genders though. She was crouched by the fire stirring the brew with a stripped branch of hazel. A rich aroma rose from the pot and his stomach growled hungrily. "Smells good," he said, dropping the wood by the fire. "Well it's the best I could come up with having just one skinned rabbit and a few herbs to cook with," she answered. He sat on a rock and watched her as she tasted the brew and smiled slightly at the result. Then she dealt it into the two bowls and handed one to him. "If you complain about it I'll eat it all myself," she warned. He raised an eyebrow in amusement, tasted it and wrinkled his nose in mock disgust. "It's awful!" She reached out to grab the bowl back but he jumped out of her reach. "Only joking! It's actually very good," he smirked. "Actually? Why does it surprise you?" "No reason. I'm just glad that my assassin is a good cook." She grinned and swatted him over the head before picking up her bowl and tucking in to the brew.  
When they had eaten Elimay found that she could not keep her eyes from drooping closed and when Legolas turned back to her from stoking the fire he found her sleeping in an awkward position as if it had taken her unawares. She had fallen onto her side from her sitting position and her legs had become tangled with each other. He smiled and moved to lay her out in a more comfortable position. He watched her for a long moment before standing up again. 


	5. 5: Getting Back into Routine

Getting back into Routine  
  
Elimay woke early in the morning from a nightmare again and she could not get back to sleep so she rose to train. Before her capture by Legolas and her injury she had trained every morning. Now she had to get back into the routine to get her body used to the moves again. She took out the fan dagger that she had hidden in her boot and found a flat shelf out of view of the camp that was suitable. Legolas was still asleep, stretched out to his full length with his hands behind his head. Elimay had paused to look upon him for a minute to awe at the sheer strength, skill and beauty of him.  
Taking out the dagger she split it into two and spun them round, one in each hand, to get used to them again. Then she threw both her arms out as if greeting an opponent and twisted into a roll in mid air, landing neatly back on her feet and thrusting one dagger forward and slicing it through the air as she circled fast on the spot. She loved to hear the slice of the blade through the air and feel the control of combat. She jumped in to the air kicking her foot straight out and spun sideways, landing back on the ground on her folded arms so that she could roll back to her feet. With one fluid movement she put the two daggers together and fanned them, pushing them forward as if to halt an oncoming sword. She twisted the forked blades to knock back the invisible sword and then ducked and weaved several times with immense accuracy and skill, spinning her blade.  
She suddenly felt a presence and stopped to see Legolas watching her from the edge of the rock shelf. His arms were folded and he had a look of awe on his face. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Elimay stood straight again and pushed the two daggers together to put it back into her boot. "I grew up in the monastery at Rhun. There they practice Katas, the traditional art of combat." Legolas looked at her in amazement. "That is a far away land. What brings you all this way?" She sighed and cast her eyes down to the ground. Legolas waited patiently for her answer. "Duty," she said simply, and then brushed past him, going back to the camp. He frowned and pondered for a moment before following her.  
She did not say another word until they were travelling again but it was nothing of her past. "How far is it to Edoras now?" she asked. "We will reach it by the evening," he answered, without looking back at her. Elimay did not like the way he had suddenly become less friendly towards her and became angry. Did he not understand that she couldn't tell him? She gave a grunt of frustration and carried on behind him, occasionally slipping over the loose spree. Normally he would have helped her but he chose to ignore her. Only when she fell and gave a loud cry of pain did he turn to help her. "Let me look at your leg," he grunted, reaching for her trousers. But she pulled away and pushed herself up again. "No. I am okay." He watched as she continued on down the slope, and gave a sigh of annoyance. Why wouldn't she tell him anything? He deserved to know for he was the one she was supposed to kill after all.  
By late afternoon they had reached the foot of the mountains and had only to go west a bit along the range till they reached the White City. 


	6. 6: Edoras and the Dwarf

Edoras and the Dwarf  
  
The sky was dark now and on the horizon were the last colours of the sunset. It was a beautiful sight to look at with the stars sparkling and the moon peeping out behind the dark silhouette of Edoras. When they came to the steps of the city, Elimay felt Legolas take her arm as she felt her leg shaking. He silently helped her up the steps and a guard who moved to stand in their way greeted them. "I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood," Legolas said, his voice filled with authority. "Will you not let an old friend through the doors of this city?" The guard looked at the prince, to Elimay and then back again. "Of course my lord." He moved to let them through and Elimay could not help but smile at seeing the princely side of Legolas.  
Just as they stepped into the main hall of the city, a blur of white and blonde flew towards the prince, and he was almost thrown back. "Legolas you dolt!" the woman cried, flinging her arms around his neck and nearly knocking Elimay over. "What took you so long?" Elimay watched the scene of affection with a mixture of surprise and amusement. For some reason she also felt a hint of jealousy at the display, but pushed it away instantly. Legolas laughed into the woman's long wavy hair and then released her back onto her feet. Elimay saw that the woman was human and was dressed in a long simple white dress. She was pretty but not beautiful and there was a spark of adventure in her blue eyes that made Elimay like her. "How are you?" he asked, still grinning widely. "All the better for seeing you!" Elimay frowned and wondered if this was Legolas' lover. But she could not imagine why he would want a human. The woman turned to look at her and smiled. "Welcome, my lady. I am Eowyn." Elimay smiled and bowed her head in greeting, giving her name. "You are welcome to stay as long as you wish in my father's city," Eowyn said, taking Elimay's hand. The maiden was slightly taken aback by this but managed to hide it. "Thank you. I look forward to seeing such a beautiful city in the daylight." "Elimay has been injured," Legolas said, making the woman turn back to him. "If you would take her to the healing houses I would much like to greet your brother." Eowyn smiled. "Of course. If you would come with me Elimay." "Under no circumstances must you let her leave," Legolas added. Eowyn frowned and opened her mouth to ask why but decided against it. Elimay cast a glance at Legolas but he was not looking at her. She frowned and sighed, hanging her head and following the woman. She found that she was limping quite badly and longed to ease the weight from her leg.  
  
The wound was still stinging from where the healer had sown it up but it had been cleaned and there was a new dressing on her leg. She had also had a bath and the fresh feeling was wonderful. She lay in one of the beds in the hospital and the room was empty of anyone else. A slight breeze wafted the curtains and the early morning sun came through in rays. She had slept all through the night with the aid of a sedative from the healer and she had not seen Legolas since last night when they had parted. She was angry with him but the intensity of it had subsided slightly.  
She raised her head and saw that her tunic, which lay in the seat beside the bed, was now clean and patched up where it had been ripped. She now wore a light nightdress that was a bit too big for her as it kept slipping off one shoulder. Her hair was sticking up in all directions as she had slept on it wet. She sat up and lowered her legs off the side of the bed.  
She was just about to stand up when the door opened. She looked up to see the prince walking in, looking cleaner than he had been last night. The scratch down his cheek was only just visible now. "How are you feeling?" he asked, matter-of-factly. He knelt in front of her and lifted the skirt of her nightdress slightly to reveal the bandage. Elimay shivered at the touch of his fingers and immediately scalded herself for it. "Okay," she answered just as matter-of-factly. He removed the bandage and saw that the wound had been ripped open from her fall on the mountain. The stitches held the newly opened wound together and the bandage he had just taken off bore the signs of blood. "You should have told me you'd ripped it open," he scolded as if she was just a little girl. She frowned at him and gritted her teeth from shouting out at him. "You wouldn't have cared anyway." He looked up at her and his expression softened somewhat. "That's not true. I'm just angry that you won't tell me anything." "Can't tell you anything," she corrected. He glowered at her before continuing his inspection of her wound. She sucked in a breath as it stung when he touched it with a cloth to clean it.  
  
Suddenly the door was flung open at such a force that both elves nearly jumped out of their skin. As it was, Legolas pressed her wound a little too hard in his surprise and she gave a cry of pain. "Legolas!" a gruff voice shouted. "What the bloody hell are you doing here my friend?" Elimay looked round to see a brown haired dwarf standing in the doorway, with a look of joy on his face. It changed into a look of embarrassment however, when he saw what the prince was doing. Elimay blushed, realising it must look slightly funny seeing Legolas holding her leg while she sat before him trouser less. "Oh," the dwarf muttered in awkwardness. "So sorry milady." "Gimli, I should have known you would greet me like this," Legolas laughed, getting up to embrace the dwarf. Elimay frowned at the strange relationship. As far as she knew, dwarves hated elves. The dwarf approached her and bowed low, surprising her further. "My lady, I am Gimli son of Gloin." Elimay smiled and bowed her head to the dwarf. "I am Elimay. Pleased to meet you." "How is it that the prince of Mirkwood is in the company of such a beautiful maiden?" Gimli asked. Elimay laughed and cast a look at Legolas to see he was looking somewhat annoyed. "Oh, we just 'bumped into' each other along our way," she smiled. "Gimli, what are you doing in Edoras?" the prince asked. The dwarf turned to Legolas. "I am on my way to Lorien to visit the lady Galadriel." Legolas smiled and then laughed. "I should have known." Gimli hit the prince on the arm and then made for the door. "I better leave you to see to the lady Elimay. I will see you later." He went out closing the door and Elimay looked back at the prince. "That is a strange relationship you have there," she said. "I have never seen an elf and a dwarf with such a strong bond of friendship." Legolas knelt back down in front of her and began wrapping a new bandage round her thigh. "Yeah well, he's a strange dwarf." "And you're a strange elf." Legolas looked up at her and could not help smiling. "Thanks," he said sarcastically. He handed her a drink and she gulped it down thankfully. "Now sleep," he said. "You need rest to heal." "I don't want to sleep..." she protested, trying to stand. Legolas pushed her down again and for some reason she could not resist for her limbs were becoming weaker by the second. "I knew you would say that so I put a sedative in your drink," he grinned. Elimay gasped in horror at him and struggled to hit him but she felt like jelly. "You little..." she began but suddenly lost the will to speak. He laid her back down and patted her cheek. "Rest well." She sank into oblivion. 


	7. 7: What will Help?

Lisapow- I really appreciate people giving me constructive criticism, as when I read it I can't see from others point of view. Thank you!!  
  
GreenEyedElfGoddess- Keep on reading and all will become clearer! Thanks for the review. Plz continue updating and tell me what you think.  
  
NightxXxshade- here's your update! Thanks for reading; hope you like it. DarkAngelPearl- More surprises coming your way so watch this space!! Thanks for reviewing.  
  
What will help?  
  
As soon as she woke, her blood was racing with anger. She could not believe the prince had done that! She sat up and dressed in her tunic, ignoring the dull pain that was still in her leg. "Damn prince," she kept muttering under her breath. She stood up and almost fell but righted herself, fuelled by adrenaline. She pulled open the door of the healing houses and went out into the corridor, stopping for a moment to consider which way to go, then making towards the sound of voices. As she rounded the corner, Eowyn and a young man with dark blonde hair met her. "Eowyn!" she exclaimed. "You wouldn't happen to know where the prince is?" The two humans stopped and saw the raging expression on her face, and wondered what the elven prince had done now. "Yeah, why?" Eowyn asked cautiously. "I would like a few 'words' with him." The man raised an eyebrow and looked at Eowyn in amusement. The woman paused then smiled. She did not want to deprive herself of the possibility of seeing the prince embarrassed however much she liked him. "Just follow me," she said, turning round to go down the stairs. Elimay followed her and the man walked beside her. "I am Eomer, Eowyn's brother," he said, smiling at her determined expression. She eased her anger for a moment to smile at him. "I am Elimay." "How is your leg?" he asked. "I heard that you injured it in a fight with orcs." "Yes. It is much better thank you."  
They had entered a large hall full of people having breakfast. Eowyn smiled in excitement, seeing they would have an audience. She spotted the prince with Gimli standing by the food hatch. "There he is," she said, pointing to him. She turned to see the look on Elimay's face and suddenly became worried as to whether she might actually try and kill him. She had no idea that she had actually already tried that.  
Legolas felt a hard tap on his shoulder and turned to see Elimay looking daggers at him. He raised his eyebrows in surprise and tried a smile. "Morning," he said. "Morning? Morning?" she shouted, her voice getting louder by the second. The whole room turned to look at them. "How dare you do that!" she said, hitting his chest with the palm of her hand. He took a step back and looked slightly worried. He did not notice the grin that had spread over Gimli's face. "What gives you the right?!" she shouted. "I was just doing what I thought might help you..." he muttered. "You have no idea what will help me! You have no idea what I have to go through to do what I think is right!" "Well then tell me!" Legolas shouted suddenly, getting angry. How could she accuse him of these things when she did not tell him anything? "Tell me and then you will maybe find that I can help you." "Do you have any idea what they are shouting about?" Eomer whispered to his sister. Eowyn shrugged. "Beats me."  
"You want to know what will help me?" Elimay cried, her angry boiling in her veins. "This..." She threw out her fist and caught him in the jaw, making his head snap back. There was a collective gasp from the many onlookers. When Legolas turned back to look at her he looked like he was going to kill her. He grabbed her arm and pushed her against the wall roughly. Elimay pushed hard against his chest trying to release herself but he was too strong so she kneed him in the stomach making him keel over. As she moved away from him he grabbed her round the waist and threw her to the ground but she kicked out her good leg sending him crashing down too. She leapt over him and they fought like two children would over the last piece of cake. Elimay grabbed his hair and pulled his head back and in retaliation he grabbed her wrist and wrenched her arm back so he could roll over on top of her. She gave a cry of frustration and tried to hit him but he grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head. She bucked, trying to shake him off but her strength was wearing thin. She collapsed in a fit of exhaustion and closed her eyes, trying to get her breath back. She felt the prince's breath puff against her face as he tired to calm his breathing too.  
The sound of Gimli's voice made her open her eyes again, to find blue eyes staring down in hers. "Bravo!" the dwarf cried, clapping his hands in an attempt to break the tension. There were a few restrained laughs and lowered talking. Elimay scanned the face above her and saw that his jaw was bruising already from the punch she had thrown him. One of the braids in his hair was sticking out at a weird angle and a button had been torn in their fight from his tunic. All in all he was an amusing sight to behold. Unexpectedly she found herself laughing harder than she had ever laughed before. Despite the pain in her leg and from the punches he had dealt her she found the situation hilarious. Soon Legolas stared laughing too. "That helped a lot," Elimay smiled, once she had calmed down. "I can see. I won though," he grinned down at her. She cocked an eyebrow. "I could beat you at swords though." "Do you want to see about that?" he teased. She laughed. "I'm too exhausted right now. Plus, I think I've injured my leg again in the fight." He immediately rolled off her and saw the blood seeping through her leggings. "I'm sorry..." She put a hand on his mouth to stop him. "Shut up. Just be gentlemanly and carry me to my bed. I don't know if I can walk." He smiled and stood, lifting her in his arms. The whole room clapped and the prince blushed, hurrying out. 


	8. A Cold Night's Rest

To EmeraldFaith, PrincessEilonwy, moonbunny77, DarkAngelPearl and Sarah Snape1- I can not thank you enough for your appraisals and you will be pleased to know that I have finished the story, so will be posting chapters every few days to keep up the suspense!!!! I will also be thinking up ideas for my next fic! Thanx again.  
  
A Cold Night's Rest  
  
She was strapped to a wooden table, her arms pinned above her head painfully. She was cold, so cold and her head ached. She clenched her fists and tried to free them but the ropes were too tight. She cried in frustration and turned her head to see that she was in a locked cell. The only light came from a fire in a stone hearth. Suddenly the bolts were drawn back and the door opened. A tall man will long white hair and a beard streaked with dark grey entered. He was dressed in white robes and his knarled hands were clasped together. "Master, I tried!" Elimay said, but the gag muffled her voice. An orc came in behind the old man and closed the door. It went to the fire and put an iron poker in the flames to heat it. Elimay whimpered and looked back at her master with wide eyes. "Please..." "You failed me. You let the prince live even though you had many chances to kill him. I chose you because I thought I could trust you. I thought your family meant the world to you." His voice was grating and deep and filled her mind. Tears of despair filled her eyes and she shook her head. The orc appeared beside her master with the now white hot poker in its claws. "For your disobedience pain is your punishment," the man said, before nodding to the orc. "No... no..." Elimay sobbed as the poker came nearer. The white-hot point touched her thigh and the orc pushed the burning metal into her skin. She screamed loud, her voice filled with pain.  
She woke suddenly, sitting bolt upright, still screaming. She found herself on the floor of the healing houses, the sheets tangled around her legs. Her thigh was burning from the memory of her nightmare and she sobbed, letting the tears flow freely. She had to get out of the room; she needed some fresh air. She tired to stand but her leg was unbelievably painful like the poker had been real so she dragged herself over to the door and opened it. A cool draft of air hit her face as she crawled out into the corridor. It was dark and only the moonlight coming through the slit windows gave a little light. She had no idea where she wanted to go or where she was going but she went in the direction the breeze was coming from. Her leg was dragging along the floor limply and the pain kept sweeping over her making her nauseous.  
She soon found herself on a balcony, which had been left open, and she leant against the railings, sitting on the cold floor. She could see the flat landscape of Rohan below and heard the call of night birds. She eventually managed to calm down from the intensity of the nightmare and soon found herself drifting back to sleep.  
  
There was something warm touching her cheek. She stroked her skin against the warmth and felt it move to touch her ear. Something cool wafted over her other cheek and she shivered. Her limbs were stiff and she felt disorientated. "Elimay... Elimay?" a voice broke through into her mind. "I've found her!" the same voice called. There was the sound of approaching feet and a relieved sigh. "Elimay, wake up," another voice said. She did not want to go back to reality; she wanted to give into that warm touch on her cheek. What was it anyway? How could just her cheek be warm and the rest of her cold? "Is she okay?" "I don't know. She feels very cold," the first voice said. Ah, that explained it. Someone was holding her cheek. She wanted to know who it was. She tried to open her eyes but found they were glued together by sleep. She reached up a stiff arm and prized them open to see the face of a young man looking at her anxiously. Eomer. "You're awake," he smiled. She raised her head and saw that Legolas stood behind him. When he saw her look at him, he crouched down to her beside Eomer. "We couldn't find you," he said soothingly. Eomer's hand left her cheek and he stood up. "I'll tell the others we've found her," he said, leaving the balcony.  
The prince looked back at her and saw that her eyes were red from crying. "What happened?" he asked. "I... I had a nightmare," she muttered. Her voice felt like it hadn't been used in a while. "He... he... I woke up screaming and needed to get out. My leg; it was so painful." "Who's he?" Legolas asked. He prized her hand from the railings and took it in his own to warm it. "My master. I have failed him. He will torture then kill me." "Not if I can help it," he said determinedly. Elimay shook her head. "You don't understand. I don't care if he kills me..." "What do you care about then?" Elimay shook her head and didn't answer. Instead she tried to get to her feet. Legolas instantly took her under the arms to lift her and then put his arm around her waist to support her. "I don't want to go back to my bed," she said. "Are you hungry?" he asked. She nodded and smiled. "Well then I will take you to the breakfast room." "In my nightdress?" He looked down at what she was wearing and smiled. "Lean here a minute." She stood against the wall and watched him jog down the corridor. A few minutes later he reappeared with a long woollen cardigan. He held it as she slipped her arms in the fastened it round the front. "What are you grinning at?" he asked, as he supported her again. "It feels good to be waited on hand and foot," she smiled. "Don't get too used to it," he said. "Once you're better I expect you to cook lots of meals for me." "Pff," she said, laughing. "In your dreams." Legolas grinned and pushed open the door to the mess hall, and led her over to a table so she could sit down. "What do you want to eat?" "Oh, surprise me." 


	9. A Brief Moment of Desire

A Brief Moment of Desire  
  
Another two days of recovery was all that was needed until Elimay was back on her feet. Legolas found her training in the healing rooms one morning and laughed at the sight. "What are you doing training here?" he asked, his brow raised in amusement. "You said that I wasn't allowed to leave," she said, thrusting out with her sword and then spinning through the air towards him. Her blade zinged and hung just before his neck. "The city, not this room," he corrected. She put the flat of her blade under his chin, raising his head up. Her lips curled up into a mischievous grin. Her eyes followed the sharp line of his jaw and saw the bruise dark against his skin but not immediately visible. She moved her blade to flick the braid by his left ear back over his shoulder. "Care to train with me... or are you too scared?" she mocked. "On the contrary," he grinned, drawing his long sword with a hiss of metal against the scabbard. He bent his knees slightly into the attack position and spun his blade round in his hand, getting accustomed to it. Then she attacked, forking her daggers and catching his sword between them and twisting so that she could push it away. It gave her time to part the dagger into two separate ones so there was one in each hand. She spun them and came at him with an onslaught that made him back up as he tried to block them. He spun out of the way just as he reached the wall and Elimay jumped spinning into the air, hearing his sword cut through the air under her. As she landed she twisted round, letting her arm fly out. She let the flat of one of the daggers hit his side and she grinned. "Again," he said, jogging on his feet and giving her a determined glare. As her blades came out he ducked letting them fly over him. He rolled forward knocking her legs from under her. She fell but softened the impact by rolling backwards and getting to her feet again. She blocked his oncoming blade but he twisted it round to free it and she found the tip of his sword against her throat. He thought he had won but she arched backwards so that her hands were touching the ground then brought her legs up, kicking his blade out of his hand. He turned to get it back but she was already on her feet and grabbed him round the waist, pulling his back to her and putting her dagger to his throat. "Got you," she panted. She could feel the muscles of his back tense and she smiled, knowing he was annoyed that she had beaten him. She could feel the pent up energy that radiated from him like a cat ready to pounce. She had only beaten him because she was more skill in the sword. If it had been a bare hand fight, he would have won for he was far stronger. She suddenly felt such heated desire for him, feeling him against her like that. The hand that was against his stomach moved of its own accord and her fingers slid between the buttonholes of his shirt to touch the bare skin underneath. She felt hard muscles beneath soft skin and she felt him tremble. She ran her cheek over the silken blonde hair down his back and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. She felt his hand touch hers that was on his stomach and instead of removing her fingers he ran his hand softly over hers and to her wrist then back again. The sound of the door opening suddenly brought them out of their exploration and Elimay quickly drew her hand from his stomach. "Are you two fighting again?" Eowyn said as she saw the dagger Elimay still held at the prince's throat. Elimay removed it and drew back from him to look at the human that had interrupted. She wasn't quite sure whether to feel angered or relieved; she had no idea what had possessed her to touch him like that. "I came to say that Gimli is eager to leave for Lothlorien. I assume you will be travelling with him?" Eowyn said. "Yes. I think Elimay is well enough to travel. I will go and find him." He left the room without turning to look at Elimay.  
  
Eowyn hugged Legolas tightly and then embraced Elimay. "You should come and visit again sometime," Eowyn said to her. Elimay smiled. "I would like that very much, thank you." "My lady," Eomer said, kissing her hand. "I am glad you are better." "Can we be going?" Gimli interrupted. "It'll be dark by the time you lot have finished!"  
After a few more goodbyes, the company of three made their way north through Rohan towards Fangorn. They would not journey through the forest, just travel round its fringes. Gimli chattered away as the day went on and Elimay found that she was unintentionally ignoring the prince. She did not mean to, she was just embarrassed at what she had done. The prince also seemed to be avoiding looking at her though when she was not looking he would watch her, thinking over what she might have meant by the touch and why she was ignoring him now.  
Elimay made the first attempt at conversation knowing that they couldn't ignore each other forever. "So are we going through Lorien?" He looked round at her as she came to walk beside him. "Yes. It is a worth while stop off." "I don't want to," she said. She knew that the lady of the woods could read minds and was scared at what would happen if the sorceress read hers. Would she be taken captive for her sins, or thrown out of the forest? Most likely she would be killed in case she was a danger to anyone else. Legolas frowned at her. "You don't have a choice." He saw the fear in her eyes and wondered why she felt it. Maybe Galadriel would be able to see what she wouldn't tell him. She narrowed her eyes at him and felt annoyed at his arrogance. She knew she would have to make her escape attempt before they reached Lorien or her cover was blown. She looked away from him and walked on ahead, not wanting to walk beside him. 


	10. A Panicked Escape

Thanks to DarkAngelPearl, sweetazzhoney and moonbunny77 for your reviews  
  
A Panicked Escape  
  
They travelled two more days until they reached the eastern boarders of Fangorn. Elimay knew that this forest was feared and this was her best chance of escape. They set up camp along the Entwash River and lit a fire. Gimli cooked the meal for them that night and was once again, the talk. Legolas and Elimay joined in half-heartedly though their minds were on other things. Legolas' was on the maiden's fear of entering Lorien and Elimay's was on the escape. They were just near the first trees of the forest and it would only have to be a short run before she entered Fangorn. She had been in it once before and it had served her a good hiding place from orcs. She scanned the route as the darkness dropped and knew that if she was going to make a break for it, the elf would have to be distracted for he was the one that was the threat. He could run as fast as her and he was stronger than her.  
After finishing the meal Gimli lay down to sleep and Legolas tended to the fire, keeping it going with another stock of wood. She could see that he was watching her out of the corner of his eye and she tried to appear uninterested in his movements.  
Then as the darkness grew thick he got up to fetch his quiver for the usual inspection of his arrows. She leapt up as silently as she could and ran. She ran like she had never run before, and she pushed back the protesting pain in her thigh. She flew over the dark even ground and heard the prince's cry as she entered the forest. She did not stop to look back, just kept on, weaving round the trees and leaping over the briars and fallen logs. Her heart hit hard inside her chest and her breathing became heavy but she did not give up.  
She had been running for a long time now though it was still dark, and she could not go on. She had pushed herself to her limits and she collapsed to the ground, her vision going blurry from the lack of oxygen. Her legs were aching and her wound was painful and her head was beating so hard that she cried out and put her hand against it.  
Once she had calmed down, she stood up again to survey her surroundings. She knew she had to be silent so as not to alert the beasts that roamed this forest. She could hear them enough to know they were there. The trees stood dark against the velvet blue sky above and strange lights kept flickering through the undergrowth. She felt fear creep up on her but told herself she would rather be here than be found out by Galadriel. She worked out by the stars which direction was west which was where the Misty Mountains lay, and then started off towards them, but walking this time. She was exhausted and had no idea what she was going to do. She could not return to her master for she would be killed and she could not return to her family for they would disgrace her even after all she'd done for them. She was alone. All alone in a huge unfriendly world. She sighed and pushed down all her thoughts like she had been trained to do, so that she became hard and emotionless.  
Suddenly, a strong hand was clasped over her mouth and an arm around her waist pulled her back into a hard body. She couldn't even cry out for she had not heard her captor's approach. This is the end. This is where it all ends, she thought. She didn't even struggle. She was too exhausted. Her captor tied her hands and ankles and threw her roughly over their shoulder. She couldn't see who or what it was for it was so dark. She was carried back through the forest and the even walk of her captor gradually lulled her to sleep.  
  
She was woken when someone opened her mouth and poured water down her throat. She choked and spat the water back out into the face of her captor. She opened her eyes to see Legolas wiping the water off his face with his hand. She raised her hands to try and throttle him but found they were tied. She cried out in frustration and tried to loosen them but couldn't. "I'm not taking any more chances," he said getting to his feet again. "Damn you prince!" she shouted. She had hoped her captor was an orc or something similar; at least they wouldn't be able to see her past. She saw Gimli sitting by the fire eating breakfast and wondered what he thought about the prince tying her up. Then she thought he'd probably told him all about her. She gave a grunt of annoyance and dropped her head back down. What was she going to do now?  
After breakfast, he untied her legs and pulled her to her feet so they could continue their journey onto Lorien. Gimli was less talkative, making Elimay's guess that he had been told of her identity, more feasible. Neither really talked to her unless it was necessary. She found that her sword had been taken but thankfully Legolas did not know where she hid her daggers. This made the escape from her bonds possible. The impossible was trying get away without being noticed for a long while so that she could get a long way away.  
She trailed along behind with a heavy heart throughout the day, watching the prince's back as he walked along as if his feet weren't touching the ground. For some reason she found him undeniably sexy in this angered, hard state. She could see the strength of him and his darker side and it thrilled her. If they weren't going to Lorien, she would have not made an escape attempt just to watch the prince. She suddenly found her chuckling to herself at the thoughts and she received a scornful look from Legolas. "What? I'm allowed to laugh aren't I?" she said innocently. She spied her sword in his belt and bristled slightly. "You seem to be without laughter so I thought I might bring some light to your cold heart." His eyes narrowed at her and snarled. "I am not the assassin." "But you are a killer and don't try to deny it." "I kill for the protection of my people and my friends' people. You kill for a reward and you show no remorse." Elimay shook her head, surprised at his crude analysis. "You are so wrong prince. I kill for love." With that she walked ahead of him, not wanting to let him see the tears that were threatening to fall. Legolas looked after her, amazed at what she had just said. She killed for love? What did that mean? It was all very confusing and the more information revealed to him, the more mystified he became. He regretted having to tie her up but he saw no other option. He had followed her through the dark deep into the forest that night and he did not want to go through that again. Most of all he had felt afraid for her. It was a very dangerous forest and she was just a maiden. A skilful one yes, he admitted, but still a maiden. 


	11. Haldir, Lorien and an entourage of elves

Lorien, Haldir and an entourage of elves  
  
They travelled another two days and slept another two nights until they reached the boarders of Lorien by midday. Legolas strolled through the trees after Gimli, feeling a new happiness touch his heart. He was so absorbed that he did not notice Elimay reach down and pull her dagger from her boot to break the ropes around her wrists. She spun round to run back the way they had come; they had only travelled about an hour into the forest and she could find her way, but she was immediately halted by the sight of many arrows pointing at her face. She was so startled that she fell backwards, being overbalanced by the shock. She fell to the ground with a cry, daggers still in hand. There were many blonde haired elves surrounding her with their arrows aimed straight at her.  
One of the elves stepped forward into the circle and looked down at her as if he was looking at a lower being. "I am Haldir, March Warden of the Golden Forest. Who are you?" he commanded. Elimay's urgency to escape fuelled her hate for this arrogant elf and in answer she thrust her foot up to wind the elf. He doubled over and the elves around moved their arrows even closer, ready to fire. "No!" Haldir cried, standing straight again and raising his hand. "I want her for myself." He drew his sword, the anger at her attack showing in his face. Elimay immediately split her daggers and crouched. "Haldir!" a voice called. It was Legolas. "She will beat you!" he exclaimed. Haldir narrowed his eyes, still looking at Elimay. "I don't think so." He attacked in anger and that was his mistake. He was too hyped up to find his centre. Elimay was a vision of calm as she blocked his attack and twisted her blades. She would have won then but she wanted to give him a chance so that she could show him just how good she was. She spun a dagger in each hand and came towards him, twisting her arms to confuse him as to which direction she would take. She leapt into the air to an unbelievable height and swept her foot out to catch Haldir's jaw. He stumbled back but righted himself, attacking as she landed. She ducked beneath his out coming blade and rolled towards him to use his back as a platform. She twisted over him and knocked his blade from his hand. Before he could blink, her dagger was at his throat. "I told you," Legolas murmured, wincing at the anger and surprise that showed on the March Warden's face.  
Unexpectedly she did a backwards flip and broke into a run, in the direction of the edge of the forest. "Get her!" Haldir and Legolas both said together. Legolas was the first to break into a run and was closely followed by an entourage of Lorien elves. Gimli couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight but was rewarded by a look of scorn from Haldir.  
Elimay ran as she found herself doing so often these days, and even her elven ears could barely hear the advance of the elves behind her. She needed to shake them off. She quickly veered off in another direction, her dark hair falling from her plait and she just dodged a hand stretched out to grab her.  
She suddenly and quite unexpectedly tripped and went face down onto the ground. She was about to get back up again, when a weight pushed her down and then more weight. She grunted and tried to move but now a lot of weight held her down to the ground almost crushing all the air from her lungs. She spat out grass and raised her head. It was pushed down again, momentarily rattling her brains. "Tie her up," a voice said, which she recognised to be Haldir. A bit of weight left her and she was able to move slightly. As someone grabbed her wrists she hit out, making contact with something and getting a grunt of pain from the recipient. She struggled as many hands tried to tie her up but she fought as if her life depended on it... which it did in her eyes. Eventually someone succeeded in tying her wrists together and rolled her onto her back to do her ankles. She saw many elves above trying to restrain her and she realised that the growing weight at the initial capture must have been many elves piling on top of her. She gave a cry of despair and as an elf went to grab her legs, she kicked out and tried to get up but was pushed down again. Suddenly a voice filled her head and it whispered through her mind with a pain that felt like cold air whistling through a broken tooth. Her back arched and she squeezed her eyes shut to try and stop it. "Welcome to my forest..." the voice hummed. Then the pain subsided and the voice became calmer. "I know what you hide and you have nothing to fear from me. Your intentions are good even though your actions are bad. Let my people led you to me and I will help you." Elimay opened her eyes and felt a happiness lighten her heart. The forest and the many faces above her seemed to spin in a soft haze and she felt so tired. She saw Legolas appear above her and felt him roughly haul her to her feet. But she had no feeling left in her body now and she fell as if she was falling into a pool of cotton wool. The warmth overcame her and she fell into a deep sleep. 


	12. Relief

Relief  
  
She though she was back in her bed at home in Rhun. She could hear the rustle of the leaves in the trees and smell the scent of pine. There was a light laughter in the air and she called out. "Lissy." Her sister did not answer and she frowned and opened her eyes. She saw branches and large platforms above her in the tree. She moved her refreshed body and found that she was not bound anymore. Confused, she sat up and found that she lay on one of the platforms, on a soft bed. Sunlight lit up the forest around her and she looked about in amazement. Lorien. This was Lothlorien. She had never been here before. The place filled her with a sense of awe and calm.  
"Who is Lissy?" A voice broke her thoughts and she whipped her head round to see Legolas sitting cross-legged on the platform watching her. She had not realised that she had been calling out. "Who is Lissy?" he asked again. His face showed no emotion whatsoever. She gazed at him and sighed. "She is my sister." He nodded and then got to his feet. "I assume you would like to bathe. There is a pool on one of the platforms; I will take you there." She swallowed back acid that had risen in her throat and got to her feet then followed him down the steps from her platform.  
The bathing pool was surrounded by white muslin material that just showed the shadow of movement beyond. Steam rose from the curtains above and when Legolas pushed them back, she sighed in happiness at the sight. Oils and fallen leaves clouded the pool surface and their scent filled the air. She stepped onto the marble platform and took the towel and soap that Legolas handed her. He also gave her a light grey dress to wear while her tunic was washed. "I will wait out side," he said. He still didn't trust her, she realised. As the prince left the pool closing the curtain, she put the towel and dress on the ground and the soap by the poolside. Then she unfastened her tunic and pulled it off, and then pushed her leggings off. She saw the bandage and wondered if she could get it wet. "Legolas," she called. "What?" came his voice from the other side of the curtain. She was slightly annoyed to hear that he was actually making sure she didn't escape again and then looked back down at her leg. "What do I do about my leg; can I get the bandage wet?" There was a pause and then she shrieked as the curtain opened. Thank the lord she still wore her underwear. His eyes took a quick look at her body then he knelt down to unwind the bandage. Elimay could feel her cheeks redden at the intrusion. Looking at the wound, Legolas saw that it was healing well and it was probably okay to put it in the water. The lesion had closed and there was just a raw red line with the black of the stitches. "I'll have to remove those stitches. It's healing well enough to be okay without them," he said, standing up again. As he stood, Elimay felt his body just brush hers ever so softly and took a step back. "Right. Thanks." He looked down at her and did not make a move to leave. The angry expression had gone from his face and had been replaced with an appreciation for the sight of her body. Elimay shifted uneasily. "You can go now." He seemed to snap out of a trance and took a step back. "Yes. Call if you need anything." With that he left, closing the curtains.  
She stood there for a minute or so, trying to grasp what had just happened. Then she quickly snapped out of it telling herself not to be so silly, stripped completely and lowered herself into the hot water with a sigh. The days of dirt seemed to melt from her skin as the water touched her and she waded out into the centre of the pool. It was just deep enough for her to touch her toes to the bottom without putting her face beneath the water.  
  
She reached for the soap and lathered it over her skin, wiping all the dirt, blood and grime away.  
When she was finally clean, she pulled herself out of the water, dried and pulled on the light grey dress. Picking up her dirty clothes and the towel, she looked at the curtains. She knew Legolas would be waiting for her and she didn't really want to face him right now. She needed some time on her own. Even though she knew he would be angry at her later, she slipped out the back. There was no point in her escaping now; she knew the Lady would help her.  
As she climbed down the stairs and gave the dirty clothes to a maid, she heard a voice in her head. It pulled her up the stairs and before she knew it she was standing on the royal flet before Galadriel herself. Elimay bowed her head low in respect and looked up again to feel fear and awe when she was caught by the lady's blue gaze. Her long blonde hair fell down the sides of her pale face and over the shoulders of her flowing white dress. There was a welcoming smile on her face. "Welcome Elimay of Rhun. I am Galadriel." Elimay smiled and put her palms together as she had been taught to do before her superiors. "I apologise for my attempted flight from your forest and for injuring Haldir. I did not mean any disrespect." Galadriel seemed to laugh although the sound was more like a whisper of wind. "The sight was amusing to watch. You are strong woman my dear. But your actions are understandable; there is much hurt and fear that you hide." "Yes," Elimay nodded. "I am tied to one choice and there is no way out for me." Galadriel shook her head. "On the contrary there are many choices for you to make. You see the easy way out but I think you are beginning to see a new way. You cannot kill the prince, even though you believe it would save your family. But remember this; your master is not good, he does not give you promises that he keeps." Elimay frowned. "But we have an understanding..." The queen sighed and looked back at the dark haired elf. "You will discover in time. But now my advise to you is not to set your views so tightly. You are freer than you think and only you can make things work." Elimay didn't know how to take this advice but she found that it gave her some hope. Maybe there was a way out of all this fear and instability. "Thank you my lady. I underestimated your kindness." "Please, stay in my forest as long as you wish. Oh, and when you see Legolas, tell him I would like to speak with him." Elimay bowed her head again, putting the tips of her fingers to her forehead with the palms still together. When she looked up again, the lady was gone. 


	13. A Talk with the Lady

A Talk with the Lady  
  
Gimli sat beneath the shade of the tree watching Elimay in her training. He was amazed at her skill and the flexibility of her movements. Even though the woman had tried to kill the prince, he could not help but like her. She was a breath of fresh air from the company of Legolas. It also amused the dwarf to no end, seeing her spar with the prince, their emotions towards each other changing like the wind. One minute they were friends, even flirting with each other, the next they would be almost killing each other with a fuelled hate. "Gimli," Elimay said, stopping in her training to look at the dwarf who was staring into space. "What are you thinking about?" The dwarf looked at her and smiled. "That's for you to never know." She rolled her eyes and chuckled. She had had to train without a weapon for she could not find her daggers or her sword on the platform. She assumed the prince had taken them, and she couldn't help feeling angered. "I can imagine it would be something to make my ears burn," she said. Gimli raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think that little of me?" She winked at him and then spun round on the spot into another attack position.  
She suddenly came face to face with Legolas, making her jump. Just as she had anticipated, he had an angered expression on his face. "Has your face been stuck in that expression because that's how I always see it?" she asked. He narrowed his eyes. "No, it's just every time I'm with you. Why did you run off?" "I'm sorry, I thought that at 2500 years old I could do what I want." "You are under my instruction. If you weren't my assassin, you would have that freedom." "Talking of assassination, where are my weapons?" Legolas gave a sly smile. "I have them and no, you are not getting them back." Elimay gritted her teeth and only just managed to stop herself from hitting him. "Be careful what you say prince. I am dangerous." "Unarmed and dangerous," he mocked. "Yes well if it wasn't for that slight hitch, I would have you flat on your back." "I am the lucky one then." Elimay gave him a scornful look and turned her back to him. "By the way," she called, "Galadriel wants a word with you." Legolas raised an eyebrow and paused. Then before walking away he said, "Gimli, guard her." He missed the uncouth word that Elimay spat back at him.  
  
Legolas climbed the stairs, seething inside. How could she be so arrogant? His anger had been somewhat stunted as he had found her with Gimli. He had never seen her in a dress before and damn did she look good. He hated that he felt this way towards her. And when he had seen her in her underwear, the sight of her unbelievable body had destroyed his placid demeanour. He mentally punished himself for falling asleep outside the bathing pool, letting her escape. He had been so tired from the journey and from all the emotions he was feeling that sleep had taken him by surprise...  
"Prince, if I'm not mistaken, you are falling in love with your assassin!" He jumped and looked up to see that he was standing on the royal flet and probably had been for the past few minutes. Galadriel stood there looking at him in amusement, having heard his thoughts. "You are mistaken!" he said, before realising his disrespect. He bowed and hastily apologised. "Welcome back prince. I see that your tortured thoughts are of a different nature this time," she smiled. "It is the woman Elimay. She annoys me to no end." "She is afraid and insecure, Legolas. Do not judge her on what little you know of her. I know you are angry that she will not tell you anything, but she will in her own time. Just be patient." "Yes my lady." "I spoke with her just a moment ago and I can see that her intentions are good even though her actions are bad. You will understand in time." "She told me she killed for love... What did she mean?" "She will tell you when she is ready. As I said, just be patient. But I must warn you before you go Legolas. Something will happen that will push her to make one last attempt on your life. As she is at the moment, she will not even hurt you but this thing will drive her to kill you." Legolas looked in amazement and fear at the lady of the woods and nodded. "Thank you." Before he left, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Do not judge her." "Yes my lady."  
  
"Elimay, are you okay?" Elimay looked round in surprise at the prince from where she sat gazing into space. She hadn't really been thinking about anything, just resting her mind. She was amazed to hear him suddenly changing his demeanour again to show gentleness and care. "Yes, thank you." She looked at him from across the flet seeing that he had been watching her as she relaxed. "And you?" He smiled and nodded. "If it's okay with you, I wouldn't mind training with you in the morning." Again she looked at him with surprise and felt relieved that he had gotten over his anger. "I would like that very much. Will you give me my daggers?" she tried. His smile disappeared slightly. "I was thinking of training without weapons. There are some things I can teach you about that." Elimay sighed, looking downcast. "Oh. Right." Well, it was worth a try. There was another silence before he spoke again. "You look different in a dress. More like an innocent maiden." She smiled and leaned her head against the tree trunk. "It's just a disguise. Beneath I am far from blameless as you have already found out." "I know that. Why do you think I need to keep an eye on you all the time?" "Because really you just want to feel like you have control of me." He gave a lopsided smile and chuckled. "But I do!" "Whatever; dream on." There was a loud snore from Gimli, interrupting their conversation and both elves broke into silent laughter. 


	14. A Lesson in Combat

A Lesson in Combat  
  
Elimay woke again from another nightmare and sat up, gasping for air. When she had recovered she sank back down pulling the blankets round her and snuggling into them. She quickly pushed the memories of the dream into her subconscious and tried to get back to sleep but couldn't. Gimli was still snoring and she felt restless so she stood up and stretched. The forest was glowing gold in the early morning sunlight but most of Calas Galadhon was still asleep. She looked about the flet and saw the dwarf curled up on his side covered in his blankets. The wool did nothing to muffle the sound of his snoring though. She looked over to the prince and wondered how on earth he managed to sleep with the noise. He was stretched out on his bed with his hands clasped on his chest. The sun lit up his blonde hair and pale skin making him look truly magically. She knelt down to him and looked over him for a moment, wondering at the flawlessness of his skin, the shape of his lips and the sharp line of his jaw. His ears were slightly more pointed than hers and she supposed it was a characteristic of wood elves. Then she reached out to shake him awake. Before her hand even touched him though, his eyes shot open and she gasped, but then managed to take a hold of herself. "Morning," she murmured. "I'm restless. You feel like training now?" "Sure," he said, getting to his feet in one fluid movement as she too stood up.  
She followed him down to the forest floor where there was a large clearing and he turned to face her. His eyes sparkled with excitement and she couldn't help smiling slightly. She quickly scooped her hair up onto top of her head tying it with a band and put her hands out, ready to attack. He came towards her and she did a nifty flip over him, landing behind. He turned round with a surprised look on his face. "I thought you weren't good at hand to hand combat!" "I'm not. I'm only okay if I avoid any physical touch for I'm not as strong as you." "So if an orc comes at you you're just going to try and avoid it?" he asked, taking a step towards her again. "I guess." She dodged him once more by rolling and jumping to her feet again. He had an irked look on his face now. "But you can't avoid your opponent forever. There are ways to use their strength to your advantage." "How?" "Can I show you?" She stood up from her crouched position and nodded. Taking her arms he readied himself. "When I throw you over my shoulder, you hang on to me and it'll over balance me. But be sure to roll out of the way." She nodded and the first time she landed hard on her back, slightly shocked at the speed he had done it at. "Ow," she said. He laughed and helped her up. "Try again." He threw her over and this time she grabbed onto the back of his tunic, pulling him back and almost strangling him. She managed to partly move out of the way but he landed on her arm. "Okay, that was better," he croaked, putting a hand to his throat. "Sorry." He grinned at her and got to his feet. "I can endure more pain than that Eli." Elimay paused for a moment when he called her that. He had never called her that. That was her nickname that she had been given to her by her sister. The memories of home flooded back and she paled slightly. "Are you okay?" he asked. She quickly pushed the thoughts back and pulled over her impassive expression again. "Yes. Try again."  
They continued practicing until there was the sound of Gimli grunting with annoyance from above, with no one to help him down from the flet. He hated trees. Elimay looked up at the prince from where he had thrown her to the ground yet again. "We should leave him up there." Legolas laughed and nodded. "Yeah. He'll survive for a few more minutes." "I have yet to defeat you." "That's not possible." Before he could move though, she had hooked her feet around his legs and pulled, making him crash to the floor with a surprised grunt. "I think you may have broken my back," he groaned, unable to move from where he had fallen. "Don't be such a baby," she said, getting to her knees and rolling him onto his front. She put the heels of her palms into the bottom of his back and pushed hard. There was a loud crack and a squeak of pain from the elf. "There you go," she said, getting to her feet again. Legolas was surprised to find that he could move again and nimbly got to his feet, stretching his back. "Huh." She grinned at him. "You just dislocated your spine," she said, making it sound worse than it actually was. "Nice." There was another shout from the dwarf and Elimay rolled her eyes. "We should go and rescue him otherwise we'll get the whole of Lorien on our backs." 


	15. A Nice Sight and a Forced Kiss

A Nice Sight and a Forced Kiss  
  
Once again Legolas, was not made to, but thought it necessary to sit guarding the bathing pool in case the maiden in question tried to make a run for it again. He could hear her splashing about as she dived under the water then came up again with a sharp intake of breath. He was sat on one of the benches on the flet and was so absorbed in thought that he didn't hear the approach of a visitor until they were right of him. He jumped and looked up to see an arrogant looking Haldir. Legolas frowned at the expression but then relaxed as he remembered that the March Warden always looked like that. The prince stood to greet the Lorien elf but he wasn't looking at him. "Is 'she' in there?" he asked, sounding like he was talking about a bug he wanted to stand on. "'She' is in there," Legolas said, imitating his expression just to annoy him. Haldir missed his mocking tone however and scowled at the curtains. "Did the Lady punish her for what she did in the forest?" he asked. Legolas raised an eyebrow and smiled. "No. Actually I think she was rather amused at the whole episode." Haldir's expression turned to a mix of surprise and annoyance. "Amused?!" he cried, and then realised to whom he was applying. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "She did not even threaten to throw her out of this forest if she tried it again?" Legolas shook his head, grinning. Oh how he loved to annoy the March Warden. Thank you Elimay! "And why are you looking so pleased about it?" Haldir asked suspiciously. Then he looked as if he had just had an epiphany. "You love her!" Legolas looked at him wide-eyed and his grin disappeared. Why did everyone think he loved the assassin? It was crazy! "I bloody don't!" he said, with great enthusiasm. Haldir raised an eyebrow and was just about to answer back when there was a strange gurgling noise from the pool. Both elves looked to the curtains curiously and heard it again. It sounded like Elimay was blowing bubbles in the water. Then she suddenly broke out in song, making the two elves smirk in amusement. There was much splashing and then the shadow of her pulling herself out of the water. Legolas gulped at the shape of her body that the silhouette gave away. He suddenly cleared his throat, realising that he had been staring and looked back at Haldir. He saw in annoyance that Haldir was still gawping. "March Warden!" Haldir snapped out of his daze and quickly turned to look back at the prince. "What?" "Why are you here?" "I came to speak with Elimay," he said. Legolas sensed that that might end in danger. "Do you think that's a good idea?" "I don't like to hold grudges," he said. Legolas almost laughed knowing that that was far from true. He had a suspicion that Haldir had come to say something different but his desire had changed his mind. "Well as you can see, she's busy," he said in annoyance. "Yes," he said, still looking at the silhouette against the curtain. Legolas was surprised that he couldn't hear his teeth grinding. "I will come and find her later." Another reason not to let Elimay out of his sight. Legolas watched the March Warden leave then allowed himself another glimpse at the curtain. She appeared to be pulling her newly washed tunic on over her head. Life is cruel, he thought.  
  
Legolas could sense Haldir coming even before he saw him coming up the steps. A moment later, the March Warden stepped into the talan where the three of them sat. Legolas looked over at Elimay who was listening to Gimli explain about the art of axe fighting, and saw her look up as Haldir entered. The Lorien elf gave her a cautious smile and Legolas was relieved to see that she gave him a look of distaste back. "Lady Elimay, may I speak with you for a moment... alone?" Elimay narrowed her eyes at him and Legolas was tempted to hand her daggers back to her. "Umm, I suppose," she said, getting to her feet. Gimli looked slightly annoyed that Haldir had taken his attentive listener away. Her eyes drifted over Legolas as she walked over to follow the March Warden out of the talan.  
Haldir led her down the steps to a flet out of earshot of Legolas and Gimli. There was a bench there and Haldir ushered her to sit down, and he sat beside her. "I want to apologise for my unwelcome greeting in the forest. I was wary of you then." Elimay gazed at him warily and felt slightly surprised at this sudden change in behaviour. She saw that he still had a bruise on his jaw from when she had kicked him. She forced a smile, not wanting a confrontation and hoping to make the talk as short as possible. "Thank you March Warden..." "Please call me Haldir." "Haldir. Your apology is accepted. But know this; if you offend me or do anything to anger me, you will regret it." The expression she got from this threat was pleasing. He looked taken aback and seemed to be struggling to keep his composure. She could not imagine why he was being so nice to her. He bowed his head. "Of course, I would not think of doing such a thing." Elimay smiled. "I'm glad. Well, now that we have that sorted out, I would like to get back to my conversation with Gimli." "Wait..." he said, as she stood. She felt his arm grab hers and he stood up close to her. She turned her head to look at him. "I... You are very beautiful my lady." Elimay raised an eyebrow and was beginning to see his reasons for being so nice. "Thank you," she said, dispassionately. "May I ask, are you and Legolas... you know?" Elimay let out a sharp laugh and looked at him scornfully. "I would kill him before I think about him in that way." It might have been her imagination but Haldir seemed to be getting closer by the second. "I am sorry that I assumed so then," he said.  
Suddenly before she knew what was happening, Haldir had pulled her to him and pressed his lips against hers. Elimay was momentarily surprised. He was a handsome elf, not as much as Legolas, but desirable enough. That is apart from his arrogant personality. Her hate for this elf was enough to make her kill him, but she would not disrespect the Lady in any way. When she had gotten over the shock, she pushed against the Warden's chest, trying to break free from his grasp. A scream of hate escaped from her mouth, slightly muffled by the force that he was kissing her at. He was too strong for her though and she could not escape. She kept her mouth shut tightly not wanting him to go any further.  
Then Haldir was pulled back quite abruptly and there was a cry of pain as he received a stinging punch from her saviour. Elimay struggled for breath and looked up to see Legolas standing over an embarrassed and angry Haldir. "Get out!" Legolas shouted at a force that almost shattered her eardrums. Haldir looked like he was thinking of retaliating but the look on the prince's face told him it wasn't a good idea. He hastily got to his feet and rushed out of the talan. "Urch!" Elimay said, scrubbing her mouth with the sleeve of her tunic. She looked over at the prince to see that he was seething with anger. "Calm down, calm down," she said, unable to keep an amused smile from her lips. "I should have told him he wasn't allowed to speak with you. I knew he would try something!" he said, his fists balled tightly at his sides. Elimay lifted his head up with her fingers under his chin. "Legolas. It's not as if he tried to kill me. But then come to think of it, if he had that would mean you would be safe." Legolas raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on," she said, taking his arm and pulling him back towards the talan where Gimli was. "Just forget about it. He's just an arrogant idiot anyway." Legolas chuckled; his anger eased slightly by her words, and let her lead him back.  
"What happened?" Gimli asked, as they stepped back into the talan. He saw the angered expression on the prince's face and the amused and slightly tired expression on Elimay's and was instantly anxious to hear. "He made a pass at me," Elimay said, sitting down beside him again. Gimli's eyes widened in surprise and looked at the prince. "Who, Legolas?" Elimay snorted and shook her head. "Haldir." "Oh," Gimli smiled and hid a snigger. "And is the March Warden still alive?" Elimay laughed. "Unfortunately yes, though if Legolas had let me have my weapons he wouldn't be." She looked at the prince and saw he was still frowning, inwardly seething. "So does this mean you're going to give me them back?" He narrowed his eyes at her. "Thought not," she said. "But then that means you're going to have to teach me more hand on hand combat." Legolas raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to protest. "To belt the March Warden over the head if he tries anything again," she assured him. This seemed to make him change his mind and nodded. "I suppose so then."  
She sat listening to Gimli for a while and when he had finished his story about dwarven ale, got to her feet, stretching. She was just about to leave the talan to go for a walk when Legolas' voice stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?" She turned to give him a look of irritation and sighed. "To the toilet," she lied. She just wanted some time alone but if she had told him that he probably would think she was trying to escape again. "Is that okay with you or are you going to come and watch?" "Fine, go. But if you're not back in a few minutes I'm coming after you." Elimay resisted the urge to scream at him and just nodded. "Yes sir." She rolled her eyes and then left the talan, making off in the opposite direction of the rest room. She had forgotten what it was like just to have herself for company. Her head had been threatening to burst unless she didn't get some time alone.  
She followed the stairs up the tree, not really caring where they led her, and just let her mind relax at the feeling of freedom. She had not realised how claustrophobic she had felt with company all the time. She had always been used to travelling on her own before she had been taken captive by Legolas. It was a wonderful feeling to feel like that again.  
She came to a flet that gave a breathtaking view of the forest below, and sat on the edge, dangling her legs over the edge. A soft wind caressed her face and blew back her long dark curls. However much she had tried to avoid it, she found her thoughts drifting back to her family. They would be waiting for her return, hoping that she had succeeded in her task so that life would be better. She had failed and to return would surely mean guilt. She wanted so much to make a better life for her family but the circumstances were just so horrible. She had to kill to make a living. She could not work out how Galadriel felt that she had more choices than this. How could she find any other way than this? Suddenly she found that tears were falling from her eyes and all the emotions that she had been hiding came to the surface. She had not cried in a very long time; she had had to remain emotionless and remorseless on such a job. This is not what she wanted her life to be like! Killing people that had done nothing to her, just for the sake of her master was just so callous. She put her head in her hands and let out all her feelings and anxiety. She soon curled up into a tight ball and cried herself to sleep. 


	16. Annoyance and Arrogance

Annoyance and Arrogance  
  
When she woke, she felt a hand stroking her head softly. She felt warm and comfortable, and lay on something that did not feel like the floor of the flet she had fallen asleep on. She opened her eyes and saw the beautiful face of Galadriel looking down at her. The elven queen smiled and when Elimay raised her head, she saw she was in a bed in a strange talan. "Where am I?" she asked. "In the royal quarters. Don't worry, just rest." "How did I get here?" "Haldir found you and brought you to me. He seemed to feel very guilty at what he had done," Galadriel explained. "Humph," Elimay said. "He apologised once before but sinned again." Galadriel smiled. "I know but you must accept that Haldir is somewhat... messed up. His heart was broken long ago when his wife was killed by a band of orcs. Since then he has never been the same. But he is the best warden I have ever seen." Elimay raised her eyebrows at the sadness of her words. "Oh, I did not know." "He tends to do things that he only realises are wrong until he has done them." Elimay nodded. "I understand." She sat up and looked around. The talan was beautiful; surrounded by walls of intricate lattice with a roof of leaves through which the morning sunlight shone. There was a trickle of water that ran down the tree trunk into a pool on top of a plinth and the air was filled with the sweet smell of incense. "How long have I slept for?" "Just a night." "I suppose Legolas will be thinking that I've tried to escape again," Elimay smiled. The Lady laughed and nodded. "Yes." "If you don't mind I would like to get up now. I feel refreshed." "Of course. And I think it would do Haldir good to know that you understand that he knows what he did was wrong." Elimay nodded. She could sort of relate to what he had gone through. "Of course. Thank you for your care." She got out of bed and bowed low before leaving the royal talan.  
She found Haldir directing a group of guards to their flets and waited till he had finished, until she approached him. "Good morning Haldir," she said, bowing slightly. He looked taken aback by her welcoming smile and seemed unsure whether to approach her or not. So she went up to him instead. "Doing a good job I see." He frowned and gave her a small smile. "I try my best. Lady Elimay, I know this is a bit late but I am sorry..." "There is no need," she interrupted. "Let us put it behind us." He smiled widely at her, obviously pleased that he had been forgiven. "Thank you my lady. How has your stay here been so far?" They walked side-by-side back towards Calas Galadhon, basking in the morning sunlight. "It has been nice. I have never seen such a beautiful forest. You are very lucky to live here, Haldir." "Yes. May I ask where you live?" "Rhun. But I have not been back there for a long while." "You must miss it," he said. "I would miss Lorien if I left." Elimay smiled sadly and nodded. "But I enjoy travelling and seeing the world; I am a restless person you see. My heart cries out for new sights and experiences." Haldir nodded but then suddenly his smile dropped. Elimay turned to where his gaze fell and saw none other than Legolas striding towards them. "I think you better make a quick exit," Elimay advised him. "I would rather not have a dead warden on my hands." Haldir managed a smile and bowed his head to her. "It was nice talking to you." "And you." With that he made a quick get away and Elimay was left to face the furious prince on her own.  
"Eli, where have you been all night?!" he snapped, grabbing her arm roughly. "And what the hell were you doing talking to Haldir?" "Good morning to you too," she said, in an irritated voice. He was treating her like a child again. "Answer the question!" She felt anger threatening to explode within her and she tore his hand from her arm. Her eyes darkened with rage and her gaze bored into his. "Now you listen to me, prince," she spat. "What I do is none of your business so you can just keep your arrogant nose out of it! If you think that I am scared of you then you better think again because you have no idea of the horror I have seen. You are just a stupid little boy who thinks he can control whoever he wants!" Her throat hurt from the screaming and trying to hold back the tears that threatened to break free. She could not believe the knack of this elf and sought to get her control back again. Legolas stared at the maiden before him, amazed at her outbreak and the force that she had spoken to him with. He could now see that she was upset and wondered a little too late that maybe she had wanted to get her feelings out last night. "Eli, I am..." "What? You are not to blame?" She shook her head and gave a scornful laugh. "Don't you dare think that you have nothing to do with this!" "Eli," he tried again, trying to make his voice calm so that it might sooth her. It didn't seem to be working to well though. "I am so..." "All the way here and even while we have stayed in this normally peaceful forest, you have seemed to think that you own me," interrupted again, pointing her finger close to his face. "I..." her voice broke for a second with threatening sobs. "I wish that I had killed you that night so that I wouldn't be feeling like this now." "Eli," Legolas said, putting a hand on her now shaking arm. "If you had wanted to kill me you would have already done it." Elimay looked up at him through tears and hiccupped. He was right and she knew it. Something had stopped her from killing him and she could not explain what. "No..." she muttered, her voice no longer forceful. She shook her head as if it would make the truth disappear. "I am more to you than just a target and you are more to me than just my assassin. Can't you see it? I came after you because I was worried not because I wanted to control your every move." "Shut up!" she shouted. She didn't want to hear this. It was too complicated as it was. "You are wrong." No he wasn't. No he isn't, she thought. Legolas reached out to take her other arm but she ran from him. He did not follow for he knew she would come back. 


	17. Back on the Road and into the Water

I so love getting all your thoughts on my story; some even make me laugh!!! I really appreciate it. Thanx. At the moment I'm trying to think of another idea for a story, so keep an eye out for it. For now though I will keep posting the remaining chapters to this one!!  
  
Back on the Road and into the Water  
  
The day was perfect for travelling. The sun was out and the air was warm but not too hot. Legolas was stood at the base of Calas Galadhon beside Gimli, both with their packs on their backs, filled with new supplies. The elf sighed with annoyance and shifted on his feet restlessly. Gimli raised his eyes to look at the elf and chuckled.  
  
"She will be here," he said. He had not seen the argument between the two but he had certainly heard it. Most likely the whole of Lorien had.  
  
Moments later Elimay came jogging down the steps with her bag with her. Her hair was up in a braid and her cloak was packed on top of her bag for it was warm enough to go without it. Just before she got to the two waiting, Haldir appeared from one of the flets and she stopped to greet him. Gimli could hear the prince's teeth grind.  
  
"You are leaving," Haldir said.  
  
Elimay nodded. "Yes. Though if it was my choice I would have stayed here a little longer."  
  
Haldir smiled and briefly looked to the prince before turning back to face the beautiful maiden. "You are most welcome to visit again. I will be here as always."  
  
"Thank you March Warden. I hope that I am able to take up the offer." He grinned and then paused before saying, "Would you be offended if I kissed you goodbye?"  
  
Elimay let out a loud laugh and patted his arm. "Only if it isn't as full on as it was last time."  
  
To her surprise, Haldir reached out and took her hand, kissing it very lightly. "I shall miss you my lady."  
  
"Good bye March Warden," she said, before running down the remaining stairs to join the prince and the dwarf. She intentionally avoided Legolas' stare of disapproval and walked off into the trees, leading the way.  
  
The day dragged on uneventfully, mostly filled with the chatter of Gimli. Even the weather was unchanging as they neared the Anduin River to cross it.  
The afternoon sunlight lit the swirling waters of the great river and from where they stood on the western bank; they could see that the eastern side was a long stretch across treacherous waters. Legolas attached his elven rope to one of his arrows, and shot it into a tree on the opposite bank. He then tied it round a tree on their side to make a line that they could pull themselves across the river on. They threw their bags across, which only just made it without getting wet and then Legolas went across to test it. He managed to keep his top half dry, and got to the other side safely. Secretly Elimay breathed a sigh of relief. She had seen the water pull at him, threatening to snatch him away but he was strong enough to hold on. Gimli went next and gave an exasperated grunt before taking the rope and stepping into the cold water. Slowly but surely he managed to pull himself across under the close watchful eye of Elimay. She could see Legolas on the other bank doing the same. Despite being smaller than the two elves, he was heavier and had the highest risk of being swept away.  
  
Suddenly their worst fears were realised. The dwarf had reached the middle of the rope and he let out a sharp shout before being snatched from his hold and swept down the river. Without hesitation and before Legolas could do anything, Elimay had dived into the water. The cold did not shock her as it did Gimli, for she was an elf, but it was still breathtaking. The swirling waters pulled her under but she let it. Through her vigorous training to be an assassin, she had been taught how to deal with a river's powers. She let the water take her, knowing that it would bring her to the surface again. It would not do any good to struggle against the pull for she would be instantly tired. When she resurfaced she found with relief that she was not far from the dwarf. He had been pulled near the far bank and was flailing madly trying to fight the waves. Elimay took another deep breath as she was pulled under again, and swam under the current, making her progress quicker. She saw the dwarf's legs beneath the surface and as she resurfaced she was just an arms length from him. She heard someone shout and looked up to see that Legolas had shot the rope across the river further down so that they could grab onto it. She forced herself through the water now to reach Gimli. She could tell he was tiring for his protests were not as urgent. She clasped her fingers round his arm and pulled him towards her, lifting him up out of the water. Thankfully the water had calmed somewhat and as the rope came up in front of them, Elimay was able to grab it and pull them both along.  
As they reached the bank, Legolas helped her pull the now unconscious dwarf onto dry ground and retrieved his rope before picking the dwarf up. Elimay caught her breath and shivered from the long period in the icy waters. Her clothes clung to her and she was so tired. She almost stumbled as she ran after Legolas, but managed to make her legs work.  
  
They found a place to camp and Legolas lit a fire while Elimay took her wet top tunic off to dry. She wrapped her dry cloak round her and shivered as she watched the prince. She did not realise that she had fallen asleep until the prince shook her awake. She jumped and looked over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked.  
  
"I'll live," she murmured. The fire was now blazing and she got up to sit nearer it. She saw that Gimli was asleep wrapped tightly in blankets. "How is Gimli?"  
  
"He'll be okay," he said, sitting beside her. "What you did for him..."  
  
"It was the least I could do for a friend. Plus, I need to put my training to good use, other that killing a prince."  
  
He laughed and wrapped his cloak around her shoulders. "Aren't you cold?" she asked.  
  
He shook his head. "I wasn't completely immersed in the water." He handed her some lembas and she ate it hungrily.  
  
"You're hurt," he said, touching her arm just above the elbow, where blood had seeped through the material of her under tunic.  
  
She didn't remember injuring herself. She must have caught her arm on a rock below the water. She rolled up the sleeve and saw there was a nasty gash just above her elbow. He tended to it with elvish medicine, making the stinging pain go away.  
  
Elimay smiled when he had finished. "You know what?"  
  
"What?" he asked, raising his head to look at her.  
  
"You can be real nice sometimes."  
  
He smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"Other times you can be a right pain in the neck."  
  
He glared at her but there was still a smile on his lips. She turned her body to face him fully and grinned at him, looking upon him with admiration. He reached up and tucked the loose stands of hair that had fallen from her plait, behind her ear. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll watch over the camp for while."  
  
She would usually protest but she was so tired that she accepted his offer.  
  
"Yeah, thanks," she said, getting to her feet and laying out her bedding. She lay down with a long sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. Her thoughts wondered as she listened to Legolas building up the fire. Why was she coming with him to Mirkwood? She knew that because she was his 'captive' she had to but she could always escape. But why was she going freely? She shook her head, to rid her of the thoughts and curled tighter under the cloaks. Life was a confusing thing. 


	18. A Sort of Acceptance

Sorry this chapter is even shorter than the rest; I will post another chapter at the same time to make up for it!  
  
A sort of Acceptance  
  
She woke up and was instantly amazed that she hadn't been tortured with another nightmare. She felt warm despite the cold of the morning and when she raised her head she found that she had been covered with a blanket. She smiled and snuggled under again, not wanting to get out into the cold.  
  
When she raised her head again some time later she saw Legolas sitting with his back to her by the fire. Her eye was caught by a glint of metal lying nearby and she focused on it to see her dagger. Her heart leapt to see her faithful weapon and crept from the blanket silently, then picked it up. No sooner had she stuffed it into her boot, did Legolas turn round. She smiled innocently and stood up as if stretching. Thankfully he appeared not to have noticed what she had done.  
  
"Morning," she said.  
  
He smiled back and watched her walk over to him. She looked down to the sleeping dwarf and then back to Legolas. "How's he doing?"  
  
"Okay. He hasn't woken up yet though I suspect he is getting the most out of the rest."  
  
She sat next to the prince and rubbed her arms with her hands to warm herself up. "It's cold this morning," she commented.  
  
Instinctively he drew his arm round her shoulders and pulled her to him. She smiled and welcomed the feeling for warmth. After all it was only a friendly gesture.  
  
"What happens when we get to Mirkwood?" she asked suddenly.  
  
He turned his head to look down at her and sighed. He did not know what would happen. Did he really want to put Elimay up for trial, which most likely result in her death? The plain answer was no.  
  
"I don't know," he admitted. "We'll fix it when the time comes."  
  
She sighed and suddenly felt that all the time she had been hiding from the fact that she was so alone. She had pretending to others and even to herself that she was capable of dealing and scared of nothing. Her family had no idea what she was doing now; they just thought she was earning her wage in a normal job. What would they think of her if they found out? They probably wouldn't care that she was doing it for them. They would think she was stupid for getting into such a thing. She gave in to her urge for comfort and slid her arm round his waist, nuzzling into his chest.  
  
Legolas smiled and sighed at her acceptance but could feel the anguish that radiated from her. What was is that she was hiding that was so bad? He absently stroked her hair and thought about their situation. He knew she felt something for him, but wasn't quite sure what. He wasn't sure what he felt either. But he also couldn't figure out why she refused to believe it. In all his life he had never imagined such an unusual thing to happen to him. He had feelings for his assassin? It was definitely absurd but at the same time felt completely right.  
  
There a sudden grunt and the dwarf sat up, looking round in puzzlement. His gaze rested on the two elves and he smiled.  
  
"How are you feeling Gimli?" Elimay asked. She felt too comfortable to draw away from Legolas so remained against him.  
  
"I owe you my life, Elimay. I thank you with all my heart."  
  
Elimay shook her head. "Don't be so silly. You are my friend and I would never let you drown."  
  
Gimli smiled. "That's ironic coming from an assassin."  
  
Both elves laughed. "You have your sense of humour back already. By tomorrow morning we will back on our journey," Legolas said.  
  
"I am getting restless for one," Elimay commented.  
  
They spent the rest of the day resting and when Legolas wasn't looking Elimay did some training with her dagger. It took a bit to get used to it again, for it had been awhile since she had even touched her dagger. It made her feel more like herself for once and she could almost imagine herself back in the monastery in Rhun. 


	19. A Horror and a Final Attempt

A horror and a Final Attempt  
  
The next day they set off again, northeast towards the dark boarders of Mirkwood. They followed the river downstream and then cut off along one of its tributaries that ran straight into the forest realm. Elimay knew that Mirkwood was the nearest elven forest realm to Rhun even though the sea of Rhun was many miles away. To the east of Mirkwood were the Brown Lands and then her homeland. This was the nearest she had come to home in a long while and she felt her stomach turn at the realisation.  
  
"What is your father like?" Elimay asked Legolas, who walked beside her. She could also feel a slight apprehension coming from him at the prospect of returning home after such a long time.  
  
He turned to look at her. "He is somewhat guarded and may appear cold to you, but he hides his feelings."  
  
"Why?" She felt fear at meeting this king that sounded so unlike Legolas.  
  
"Ever since my mother died, he has been withdrawn. Even to me and my older brother Gallion."  
  
"I am sorry," Elimay murmured. She had never really thought about the prince's family and his life but now he had told her a part of it, it surprised her. It made her realise how much she did not know about him.  
  
"It's okay. She died a few years after I was born so I never really knew her. What about your family?"  
  
Elimay swallowed, and turned her gaze from his. "I have my sister Lissy and my mother and of course all the people I have grown up with in the monastery. But my father... he was killed."  
  
She heard Legolas gasp quietly and felt his hand grasp hers and squeeze it softly. "How did he die?"  
  
Doing what she was doing, she thought. But she couldn't tell Legolas that. She sighed deeply and shook her head. She remembered the day when her mother had come into her room. She had seen the look on her face and knew even before she had said anything. The sorrow that she felt that day had never really left her. She only had one choice though and she had to remain emotionless. So far she had avoided going the way of her father, but she realised that her life was going the way that his had. Exactly.  
  
She was drawn from her thoughts when she felt Legolas' arms embrace her and she welcomed the warmth he gave off. She sighed and went to look up at him but was completely surprised when instead she felt his lips brush hers ever so softly. Immediately she pulled away from him, staring at his face with complete amazement. He too looked amazed that he had actually done that. "We should quicken our pace. We need to reach the boarders by evening," he said evenly, as if he hadn't just kissed her. She watched in silent astonishment as he strode away from her and then followed at a distance behind him, pondering over what had just happened.  
  
She knew he was ignoring her, avoiding meeting her eyes, but then she didn't really want to face him. Instead she engaged in conversation with the dwarf.  
  
By evening they reached the boarders and the dark trees towered above them blocking out a lot of the light as they entered. Elimay looked at Legolas who was walking just in front of her, and saw his eyes light up at the sight of his home. There was a new spring in his step and it brought a lit to her heart.  
  
They found a place to camp in a small clearing and lit a fire to stem the cold that was creeping up on them like the night was.  
  
After Elimay had cooked the dinner she got up to go to the toilet. She wondered into the trees, out of view of the camp and looked around. She felt a danger that made her stop suddenly and she froze listening. But before she could do anything she was grabbed and pushed to the ground. She couldn't even scream for help for a hand was clasped over mouth. Opening her eyes she saw an Uruk-Hai on top of her. Its stench almost made her wretch and she could not shake the huge beast off her.  
  
"Woman, stop struggling, I am not here to kill you," it said. The fact that the Uruk-Hai had actually spoken to her instead of eating her alive was enough to make her stop struggling.  
  
"Why are you here then?" she asked as soon as it had taken its claws from her mouth.  
  
"I bring a message from your master. He is giving you one last chance to fulfil your duty."  
  
Elimay raised her eyebrows but then frowned. "And what if I don't?"  
  
The Uruk-Hai smirked and she dreaded the answer. "Your mother and sister are his captives. If you do not fulfil it he will kill them both."  
  
Elimay let out a small cry of fear and clenched her fists tightly. Her family was his captive and now she had no choice. Mutely she nodded and they Uruk-Hai got up. She rose to her feet and looked at the beast before her.  
  
"You know he will see if you fail," it said. Again she nodded and watched it disappear into the near darkness.  
  
She stood there for a few moments, trying to fight the tears that threatened to fall. She could not fail or her family would die. She took a deep breath, making her emotions fall to the back of her sub-conscious and reached down to her boot, pulling the dagger out. She raised the weapon to her face, seeing the light from the moon above run down the length of the blade. In her mind's eye it was already tainted with red blood. She drew in another breath and turned back to the camp, picking her way silently through the undergrowth.  
  
She crouched behind a bush and saw that Gimli was asleep already. Legolas was stood at the far edge of the clearing, scanning the area for any danger. Her wall of remorseless almost shattered seeing him there. He was so beautiful and perfect that it seemed such a sin to extinguish such a life from this world.  
  
He turned back to the camp and sat with his back to her, before the fire. Now was the time. Getting a grip on herself by thinking of her family, she stepped from the bush making no sound what so ever. Her dagger was poised in front of her and she crept towards him. His head was bowed, inspecting his arrows again. As she stood behind him she looked over his shoulder to see his slender fingers searching the arrow for splits and unevenness. She moved her dagger towards his throat, readying to make the quick movement that would kill him.  
  
The metal was almost touching his skin when suddenly, quick as lightning; she was grabbed and thrown over his shoulder to the ground. He grabbed the dagger throwing it out of her hand, and straddled her, pinning her arms over her head.  
  
"No!" she screamed, sobbing loudly enough to wake the dead. Her tears fell in streams down her cheeks and her body shook with sobs. "Get off me!"  
  
She tried to break free but he was too strong, his hands almost stopping the blood flow in her wrists.  
  
"No." She shook her head and squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to make it all go away. She had failed! Her family would be killed. Grief overtook her and she ceased her struggling, giving up the fight.  
  
"No... no," she muttered over and over again.  
  
When she opened her eyes finally, she saw Legolas staring down at her, his eyes mixed with anger and annoyance. When he saw the grief that had filled her eyes though, his heart almost broke. "Eli," he said, a little harsher than he had meant.  
  
"There is no use for my life now. Kill me prince and your anger will be lessened," she murmured though quiet sobs.  
  
"Eli, I'm not going to kill you..."  
  
"Please," she cried, begging him. "Kill me now."  
  
"No!" he shouted. "You must tell me everything."  
  
Elimay looked up at him and knew that it would do no good to hide the truth from him any longer. She had failed anyway. She would not loose anything by telling him, but at least she would die knowing that she had not meant for him to hate her. She swallowed and caught his gaze with hers. "You want to know the whole truth?"  
  
He nodded. "Who is your master?"  
  
"My master is Saruman."  
  
Legolas gasped and looked down at her in amazement. "Saruman? But I thought he lost his powers?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes. That is why he needed people like me to do his bidding. The only power he has is that of the lost Palantir. Long ago, my father was employed by him to kill a young elven maiden named Tru. In return the lands of Rhun; his homeland would remain untouched by his forces of orcs and Uruk- Hai. But when my father tried to kill her, he fell in love with her. Back then Saruman did not have the seeing stone and my father was able to hide Tru in the monastery, pretending that he had killed her. They made their lives in Rhun and had two children, Lissy and me. But when Saruman got the Palantir during the war of the ring, he saw what my father had done, and killed him. My mother told us that we weren't to ever go the way of him but I knew that the only way to save my family was to replace him. I offered my services in return for the protection of them and my friends at the monastery. And so that is how I came to be your assassin."  
  
Legolas stared at her, everything suddenly making sense. Every one of her actions were explained and he respected her for her courage and commitment to save her family. "But what made you suddenly try to kill me just now? You said you had failed."  
  
She had told him what had happened in the forest and his eyes widened in horror. "My family will be killed and I have failed them. My whole life has been for nothing."  
  
Legolas got off her and helped her sit up, still a bit wary. "That's not true. I know just the person to help you and he is staying in Mirkwood this very moment."  
  
"Who?" Elimay asked, suddenly intrigued.  
  
"Gandalf."  
  
She gasped and suddenly there was a light at the end of the tunnel. There was hope. She had heard of Gandalf and his death and rebirth. "Will he help me?" she asked.  
  
"Saruman is an enemy to him and he would seize any opportunity to overthrow him."  
  
"Oh," she gasped, her lips breaking into a small smile. The grief in her eyes had nearly disappeared and she flung her arms round the prince, so glad that he was there. "I am sorry," she cried.  
  
"Don't be," he murmured, pulling her tight to his chest. She was so overjoyed that she felt like jumping up and down, but restrained herself, telling herself that it wasn't over yet.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered pulling away enough to look up at him. "I know I do not deserve your help but I appreciate it."  
  
He smiled. "If we are going to succeed in this rescue, we better get going."  
  
Releasing himself from her he got to his feet and shook Gimli. "We're going," he said to the sleepy dwarf.  
  
"What!? It's the middle of the night!" he protested.  
  
"We need to get to my father's house fast," Legolas said, putting out the fire and grabbing his bag. 


	20. Mirkwood

Mirkwood  
  
They had not been travelling for long, until the prince suddenly stopped and smiled, looking up into the trees. "Will you not come down from your hiding places to greet your prince?" he called.  
  
Elimay and Gimli frowned, not knowing whom he was talking to, but soon found out as a whole group of elves jumped down from the trees to laugh in delight. "Forgive us my lord," one smiled, "we could not resist it."  
  
Legolas smiled and then introduced Gimli and Elimay.  
  
"We must get to the city quickly," Legolas said on a more serious note. "Can you lead us?"  
  
"Of course my lord."  
  
The elves returned to their flets and the guard of Mirkwood, Elladan, led them though the forest.  
  
"How is my brother and father faring?" the prince asked.  
  
Elladan grinned and looked to his superior. "Your father as usual is muttering about why you can't be more like Gallion. Your brother has become annoyed with him for putting you down."  
  
"And there I thought my brother was liking the praise."  
  
They were led through the night and Elimay's eyes grew heavy with fatigue. She had not slept for two days and it was starting to take its toll. She had been listening to the elves' conversation and was intrigued to meet Legolas' older brother, but afraid to meet his father.  
  
"Are you okay?" Gimli asked, looking up at the maiden.  
  
Elimay smiled down at the dwarf and nodded. "Yes Gimli, I am just tired. I have not slept in a long time."  
  
"Legolas will carry you if you ask," the dwarf smirked.  
  
Elimay rolled her eyes and turned to look at the prince ahead of her, walking with Elladan. "I can walk without his help but thank you for your concern."  
  
"Fair enough," Gimli shrugged. He ran ahead to the two elves and Elimay didn't hear him tell Legolas that she was tired.  
  
She walked behind them hanging her head in exhaustion so she didn't see Legolas until she bumped into him. She frowned up at him, wondering why he was standing in her path.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"You look tired," he said.  
  
Elimay narrowed her eyes and looked round him to Gimli who was now walking with Elladan.  
  
"I'm fine," she said, moving round him to continue walking. He walked beside her, looking down at her in amusement.  
  
"By any chance did Gimli tell you that I needed support?" she asked.  
  
Legolas smiled and then chuckled. "He's only worried for you as I am."  
  
"Well it's nice to know I'm thought about, but I'm quite capable."  
  
"Hmmm, so you say."  
  
She frowned at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
He raised his brows in amusement and gave her an innocent look. "Nothing."  
  
"So," she said, wanting to tease him. "Will your girlfriend be waiting for you when we get to the city?"  
  
Legolas frowned at her and shook his head. "Don't know where you got that idea from." "Well, I just assumed."  
  
"You should never assume anything about me," he told her.  
  
She smiled and then rubbed her hand over her face with weariness. She realised that also she hadn't eaten anything in a while and she felt weak from the lack of sustenance. She was finding it very hard to put one foot in front of the other.  
  
"How far is it now?" she asked.  
  
"Not too far. You can look forward to a hot meal and a nice warm bed."  
  
"But I need to seek Gandalf first..."  
  
"I will do that," Legolas interrupted. "You need to rest. I will tell him everything and then get him to come and tell you his advise."  
  
Elimay thought to object but the prospect of bed was too much. She nodded and thanked him.  
  
Elladan had led them into a thinner part of the forest and through the trees rose a great wall with an iron gateway.  
  
"Welcome to my home," Legolas smiled, taking her arm. Through the barrier they went and into the elven city of Mirkwood. 


	21. Feels Like Home

Feels Like Home  
  
It seemed like years since she had woken up in a real bed. The soft mattress moulded to her body and the sheets hugged her welcomingly. She looked around the bedroom she had woken in and saw the balcony windows were slightly open letting in a light breeze that moved the muslin curtains. It was a beautiful room in its simplicity and plainness. It had a homely feel like it had been lived in instead of just being a guest room.  
  
She sat up and let her legs hang off the side. She saw that her tunic had been replaced with a warm but plain russet coloured dress and a long woollen cardigan. She dressed and then left the room, not knowing where she was going but just exploring. Her heart felt lightened and she was released from the grief for a while, knowing that there were people that could help her save her family.  
  
Following the corridor she found herself descending some stairs down into a dim hallway. Many doorways led off the hall into rooms unseen. She followed the hallway out onto a sheltered balcony that looked out onto a beautiful garden full of Rhododendrons. The tributary that they had followed on their way here ran straight through the garden with a quiet tinkling over the stones. A light mist of rain filled the air but the balcony had a curved roof that sheltered her. She could hear the raindrops pattering lightly on the clay tiles. It was uncannily like her home in Rhun, with the reed mats and simple whitewashed walls.  
  
Someone tickled her waist from behind and she jumped and turned to see Legolas grinning at her. "Good morning," he said, "Did you sleep well?"  
  
She smiled, seeing the boyish charm sparkle in his eyes at the thrill of being home again. "Better than I have in days," she smiled. She turned back to the view of the garden and Legolas stood just beside her, his arm just brushing hers.  
  
"This place reminds me so much of home," she told him, making him look across at her. "It almost feels like I am back there."  
  
"Does that mean you like it?"  
  
"Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful; I could easily live here."  
  
He gazed at her while she looked out at the garden. She clutched the cardigan around her but he could see she wore a dress beneath for it appeared a few inches below the bottom of the wrap. Her loose hair tumbled down her back and blew slightly back from her pointed ears. She didn't wear her hair down often and it made her look different; he wanted to hold her curls in his hands and burn her with the touch of his lips.  
  
His examination of her was interrupted when someone stepped onto the balcony behind. Both of them turned to see a tall dark blonde haired elf smiling at them, slightly amused.  
  
"Galion, do you always have to creep up on me?" Legolas asked, hitting his brother lightly on the arm.  
  
Galion ignored him and looked to Elimay, bowing to her. "My lady, I am Galion."  
  
Elimay smiled and introduced herself, looking upon the older prince with interest. He did not really look like Legolas at all. He seemed more superior and less mischievous but there was a kind look in his eyes that Elimay liked.  
  
"Has my brother been treating you well?" he asked. "I shall be having words with him if he hasn't."  
  
Elimay laughed and cast a look at Legolas to see he was scowling slightly. "He has been quite the prince."  
  
Galion looked slightly amused. "Really? That is certainly unlike him."  
  
"Shut up brother," Legolas interrupted.  
  
"Have you seen our father since you arrived?"  
  
Legolas cringed and his jaw tensed. "Not yet. I have more pressing business to see to."  
  
Galion raised his eyebrows and shook his head. "I would see him if only to prevent further aggravation."  
  
"Seeing that I am in Mirkwood, it is only right that I see the King of Mirkwood," Elimay interrupted, knowing that Galion was right. "Perhaps you might take me Legolas?"  
  
Galion smiled and Legolas looked round at Elimay blankly. After a pause he said, "I suppose so. Come, I would rather get this over and done with."  
  
Elimay winked at Galion who managed to stifle a laugh, and followed the prince down the corridor.  
  
They walked in silence and soon came to a heavy door. Legolas knocked and a gruff voice told them to enter.  
  
He opened the door and let Elimay step in first; closing the door once he was inside.  
  
Elimay looked round the large room to see there was a blazing fire in the hearth and a desk at which sat a silver haired elf. He looked up when they entered and Elimay suddenly felt afraid, seeing the hardness and authority that enveloped him. He was dressed in rich colours but they did not add a colour to his pale face. He appeared both young but very old at the same time.  
  
"Father," Legolas bowed in a composed greeting.  
  
Elimay bowed too and went to introduce herself but Legolas did it instead. The king looked at them both silently for a long moment then got to his feet, moving around the desk towards them.  
  
"Lady Elimay, you are most welcome in my kingdom," he said, though it didn't sound like he meant it. Then he turned to look at his son. "Legolas, how nice of you to finally show up."  
  
Elimay saw a muscle in Legolas' jaw twitch and she watched the silent exchange between the two. "I am glad to be back home," the prince said, emotionlessly.  
  
"How long will you be gracing us with your presence?"  
  
"A few days at the most. I have an urgent calling to attend to."  
  
"Legolas, you don't have to..." Elimay started but she was silenced with a cold stare from him.  
  
Thranduil looked at her for an instant then turned back to his son once more. "So be it."  
  
With that he turned his back to them, going to stand by the fire. Legolas looked at his father for a moment longer, feeling anger run through his veins, and then strode out of the room, closing the door loudly once Elimay had slipped through.  
  
They stood outside the door in silence for a moment, Legolas not meeting Elimay's gaze until she spoke. "Legolas, your duty to me ends here; you do not have to come with me."  
  
He looked down at her and she saw he was still tense. "No. I am coming."  
  
She went to protest but he put his hand over her mouth. "Don't argue."  
  
He turned away from her and made his way down the corridor, back the way they had come. She sighed and went in the opposite direct in search of some breakfast. 


	22. Getting down to Business and giving in t...

Getting down to Business and giving in to another  
  
"Lady Elimay?"  
  
The sound of her name made her turn and she saw an old human with long grey hair and beard before her. He was dressed in white robes and though he was ancient, he walked like he was young.  
  
"Yes?" she said.  
  
"I am Gandalf. I heard that you seek my help."  
  
"Oh," Elimay smiled to him and bowed her head in greeting. "Yes. Did Legolas tell you of me?"  
  
The old man nodded and motioned for her to sit down. They were in a sitting room that was warmed by a fire in the hearth. "I have sent for Legolas so that he can hear what I have to say. Is that okay with you?"  
  
Elimay would have rather not had the prince hear but she wasn't about to tell him that. "Of course."  
  
The door suddenly opened and Legolas stepped in, closing it behind him. He sat in a chair opposite Elimay and said nothing, not looking at her. She immediately felt an annoyance towards him.  
  
"Now, I have heard all the prince has to say and I offer you all the help I can give you," Gandalf began. "You say that Saruman has a Palantir?"  
  
Elimay nodded.  
  
"I have some powers that can distract what it sees, but only for a short time. There are many forces that guard Isengard and we have to get through them in order to save your family. When we leave Mirkwood I will be able to disguise the way that we are going. It will take him a while for him to find us again and hopefully it will be enough time to get to Isengard before he knows."  
  
"What happens when we get there?" Elimay asked.  
  
"The spells that guard the tower are not his power but dark magic. He has no power to wield and so he is destructible. I can only open a small gateway in the force field to let you in but only for one person. Elimay, you will have to enter without anyone knowing."  
  
Elimay nodded again, showing that she understood. "I know the inside of Isengard like the back of my hand."  
  
"Once Saruman is destroyed, we can help you to get his captives out. The only danger is that if he is not killed, you won't be able to get out again."  
  
"Well I have nothing to loose, so I'll risk it," Elimay said.  
  
Legolas wanted to say that she had him, but thought better of it.  
  
"Legolas," Gandalf said, turning to the prince. "We need your skill with the bow if you would come along."  
  
He looked at Elimay and saw her sigh deeply. "Yes, I will come," he said . "I also will come along, for you need my powers. We leave tomorrow morning."  
  
Elimay suddenly felt scared at finality of it all. What if she got there and found that they were too late? But she realised that if they succeeded in this it would not only help her family, but others that were under Saruman's persecution. That thought brought more determination to her.  
  
"I will train then for I need all the practice I can get," she said, standing up.  
  
"Would you mind if I joined you?" Legolas asked, looking at her with some regret that he had spoken so harshly to her earlier.  
  
Elimay turned to nod and then went out of the room, hearing Legolas follow behind her.  
  
"Eli?" Legolas called, so that she stopped and let him catch up with her. They walked side by side towards the armouries. "It is okay to show your fear," he told her softly.  
  
She did not look round at him but cursed him for knowing her emotions so well. "I feel no fear," she said, if only to convince herself.  
  
She heard him sigh and they walked the rest of the way in silence.  
  
Entering the armouries, she leaned down to pull out her dagger and then split it into two. When she turned to face him again, he had his long sword in his hand. Her eyes drifted over his form and her heart suddenly ached.  
  
She pounced to break the feeling and he blocked her harsh attack with his sword, pushing back her crossed daggers. She spun round with relish and cut her left blade out then her right one over it. He twisted his sword each time to block them. Her emotions and fear made her fight all the more driven and she fought almost blindly, sending out parry after assault. Legolas was having trouble keeping up with her delirious dance and saw her eyes shining with unshed tears. Because of her blind anger he was able to get at her weak spot though, and knocked her blades from her hand.  
  
She collapsed to her knees, panting and sweaty.  
  
"Oh Legolas," she cried. "I am afraid. So afraid."  
  
He knelt down to her and she fell against him, trembling. "It's okay," he soothed, stroking her hair back and drawing his arms around her.  
  
He fluttered light kisses over her face and she did not protest because her feelings were now flooding free; her fear, her want of revenge and her love.  
  
When his lips drifted over hers she kissed back and took his face roughly in her hands, pulling him closer. Their kisses were fevered and full of longing as she told him of what she had been hiding for so long. His fingers tangled in her hair as he devoured her lips and her tears mingled with their touching.  
  
When he finally drew away his heart was beating painfully from the passion. "I love you," he said, kissing her brow then her jaw. This just made her cry even more. He kissed away the tears as they fell and then helped her to her feet. "Get some rest, melamin my love." She nodded mutely, unable to say anything, and let him lead her to her room.  
  
She fell asleep almost instantly and did not wake again until the next morning. 


	23. Painful Thighs and Heartfelt Sighs

Painful Thighs and Heartfelt Sighs  
  
She stepped out into the courtyard to find that once again she was late. Legolas and Gandalf were waiting for her with three brown horses. Her heart lightened to know that going on foot would not hold them up.  
  
She greeted them with a wide smile and tied her pack to the third horse. Then she easily leapt up onto the steed and watched as Legolas and Gandalf did the same.  
  
"Where is Gimli?" she asked, missing the company of the dwarf.  
  
Gandalf turned his horse to look at her. "He is not coming; he would only hold us up. When we return he will be waiting for us."  
  
If we return, Elimay thought, but cast the fear away. She lightly kicked the sides of her horse and followed on after the others, out of the gates of Mirkwood and into the forest. They would be going due south passing by Lorien and Fangorn without stopping for that would hold them up.  
  
Elimay took up the lead, galloping through the trees to feel the wind blow her hair back from her face. She had not ridden a horse for a long time and she had forgotten how free it made her feel. It was as if she was flying. It was only until she had come out of the forest that she slowed down to a trot to let the others catch up with her.  
  
Gandalf stopped his horse and motioned for the others to do so too. "Here I must disguise our path in the Palantir. When I say so ride fast so that we can get as much distance away as we can."  
  
He closed his eyes and breathed deeply then uttered ancient words that brought a cold shiver to Elimay.  
  
She watched him transfixed and was momentarily surprised when he shouted, "Go."  
  
They all took off at a gallop towards the river and the mountains on the far horizon. The wind now whipped at her cheeks, making them sting as she lay into the horse to make her more streamlined. She was just behind Legolas and Gandalf took up the rear.  
  
Soon their horses were dampened with sweat, their coats darkened by the moisture. Elimay felt pain in her thighs from riding so hard and she longed to stop for a rest, but pushed on. She knew that when they eventually stopped she would find it hard to stand. The only time she had ridden so hard in her life was when she was trying to outrun her friend and fellow warrior Oliver back in Rhun.  
  
They did not stop until they had reached the river, which, on foot, would have normally taken two days to reach. Her horse skidded to a stop near Legolas' and she caught her breath as Gandalf came up to them. He seemed pleased at their progress and Elimay knew now it was a good idea to leave the dwarf behind. They would never have been able to go that fast with him with them.  
  
She looked to Legolas and saw he had already calmed his breathing and was looking over the landscape before them with a trained eye. His gaze went to the river, searching for a good place to cross and saw where the water was deeper and the current wasn't so strong.  
  
"We can cross there," he said, pointing to the large pool in the river.  
  
He looked at Elimay and smiled encouragingly at her. Then he guided his horse into the water, still on the steed's back. The horse swam with its head above the surface, and only the bottom half of Legolas was drenched by the time he safely reached the other side.  
  
Gandalf told her to go next and she trotted her horse to the edge. At first contact with the ice-cold water, it stopped and tried to draw back but Elimay muttered soothing words to it, making it gradually move into the water. It swam hard and as she reached the other side, Legolas pulled the horse out.  
  
Last of all Gandalf came across, his horse not as stubborn, trusting the wizard's care.  
  
Finally they were all safely across and only half drenched. Thankfully they hadn't had the same incident that they had had with Gimli when crossing the same river on the way to Mirkwood.  
  
They rode fast but not as hard over the land, following the river on the western bank.  
  
By evening they had reached a bend in the Anduin where there was a sheltered bay. They stopped there and set up camp, lighting a fire to dry their still damp baggage. Gandalf cooked the evening meal while Legolas scanned the area for danger and Elimay collected more fuel.  
  
She sensed Legolas approach her through the darkness even before she saw him. He was moving silently but she could still feel his presence. Her arms were nearly full of wood and the light from the fire could be seen a distance away. The dark silhouette of Gandalf could be seen against the flames.  
  
She had been walking rather painfully since getting off the horse from the long day's ride and wondered why the other two showed no pain. Probably because she was unused to riding. Her thighs still ached and seemed to seize up occasionally but she was looking forward to the night's rest.  
  
"Need some help?" she heard Legolas' voice behind her as she stooped to pick up more wood.  
  
"No, I think I'm just about done here," she said turning to him. They began walking back towards the camp through the quiet darkness. She stopped suddenly though when she heard something scuttle by in the dark.  
  
"Just a rabbit," Legolas assured her, smiling at her edginess. He took the stack of kindling from her and placed it on the ground for a moment, so that he could take her face in his hands. "You are very beautiful, Eli."  
  
She blushed slightly and smiled.  
  
"Such a splendour should not have to put up with all this anguish," he continued.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her slowly savouring the taste of her.  
  
"And to think I tried to kill you," she laughed, running her fingers over his ear, making him shiver.  
  
"Hmm, I shall have to punish you for that," he murmured, with a mischievous smile on his lips.  
  
She chuckled and rolled her eyes at him. Then she bent down to pick up the firewood again. Her stomach suddenly growled loudly making them both laugh, and they walked back to the camp in high spirits. 


	24. Feeling Wanted

Okay, just to make a few things clear for a few of my reviews. I have based my fic VERY loosely on the actual LOTR trilogy. The characters are there but the timescale and many other things I have mixed up to my own advantage. And I know Elimay is not an elvish name; it probably isn't even a known name coz I made it up myself. I also know Saruman is dead in the actual story... but not in mine! I made elimay able to defeat Legolas coz I liked the idea of someone in this weird world that is remotely true to middle earth, actually being able to defeat him and what better than that person being a woman! I have made Legolas stronger than her but because of her skill, she is better at swords than him. I will taken into account your words of advice especially when you say I need to develop her character more. Seeing as I have actually finished this story (thou I have not posted it all) I might do a revised version or take your advice on board for my next story. Thank you!!! I really appreciate your views.  
  
Feeling Wanted  
  
She could see her sister and her mother crouched in the cell, their hands and feet tied together. The fear in their eyes was unmistakable and she could see Lissy shaking. Neither knew of Elimay's failure or that she had gone the way of her father. They had been snatched from their walk by the sea of Rhun by a group of Uruk-Hai, and brought all the way to Isengard. Elimay could feel the cold of the floor even through her leather travelling boots and the iciness of the air bit against her cheeks. She called out to her family but they could not hear her.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and her master walked in. "This is your fault," he told her, looking down at the two crouching figures. "If you had only killed that damn prince, they would be okay."  
  
"No!" Elimay cried, clenching her fists. "If you weren't so evil none of this would have ever happened."  
  
Saruman's eyes blazed. "You do not talk to your master like that!" he shouted.  
  
"You are not my master," she growled, drawing her daggers and moving towards her.  
  
He laughed at her and shook his head at her. "I have something to show you that will change your mind. Come with me."  
  
For some reason Elimay complied and let him lead her out of the cell and down the corridor to another room. He drew back the bolts and entered, Elimay behind him.  
  
It took her a minute before she could see through the dimness to what he was showing her. Then she gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. There, lying motionless on the floor was Legolas. He was deadly white and the darkening colour of red stained his tunic.  
  
"No!" she cried, running to him and kneeling down. She took his face in her hands and he felt so cold. "Legolas!" she shouted, trying to rouse him from his deep sleep.  
  
"He can't hear you," Saruman said. "He is dead."  
  
A scream of pained anguish escaped from her lips.  
  
She sat bolt upright on her bedroll, her scream ringing through the night air. It penetrated the silence of the dark and immediately woke both Gandalf and Legolas. Both sat up to see what had happened and saw Elimay with her eyes squeezed shut, her breathing heavy.  
  
Legolas got up from his bed and crouched down to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. "It was just a bad dream," he said.  
  
Her eyes opened and looked at him, sighing with relief to see that he was alive. Gandalf lay back down when he saw Legolas handling the situation.  
  
Legolas pushed her back down again and lay behind her, stroking her head soothing her back to sleep. He kissed her ear lightly and then pulled her against him, drawing his arm round her. She soon drifted back to sleep comforted by the warmth of his body.  
  
She woke somewhat disorientated, and raised her head to see Gandalf still sleeping nearby. Her head felt groggy but there was a strange comforting warmth against her back. Turning to look behind her she saw with a jolt, Legolas sleeping against her, his arm draped over her waist and his head nestled in her neck. Then she remembered the nightmare she had had, and waking up screaming.  
  
She sighed deeply and laid her head back down again. She blinked away sleep and just listened to the sound of breathing near her ear and the cry of the morning birdcall. The horses stood nearby, munching at the long grass and drinking from the river's water.  
  
It was a while before she felt Legolas stir and then yawn widely. He pulled her closer and kissed the back of her neck lightly. She closed her eyes at the pleasure of it and pulled her hand over his, weaving their fingers together. His hand was warm against her stomach and she caressed his skin with her thumb, absently. She knew they would have to get up soon, but right now she was too comfortable to move.  
  
She heard Gandalf rise and quietly get breakfast ready, thinking they were still asleep. They did not see the smile that graced his lips when he cast a glance at the two elves. He found it both amusing and heart warming that the prince had fallen in love with his assassin. The fact that amongst rivalry and evil, love could be found, made him realise that the world was not completely lost to the effects of the war.  
  
They eventually rose and after breakfast continued on their journey, following the line of the river southwards. Two more days passed uneventfully, riding through Gladden Fields and then crossing a tributary of the river that ran towards the Misty Mountains. Legolas told her of Rivendell for she had never been there, and she was amazed to hear that Elrond's daughter Arwen had married Aragorn, a mortal human. She was touched to hear of such love but still thanked the Valar that both she and Legolas were immortal. She would not be able to stand it if she grew old while Legolas remained young.  
  
Soon they were passing close by the boarders of Lorien and Elimay wished that they weren't in such a hurry so she could visit the beautiful forest again. She remembered the rivalry between Legolas and Haldir and smiled, finding the memories amusing.  
  
They stayed the night on the riverside with the green of the forest just a few miles away, and Elimay found that she was comforted by its presence when she tried to get to sleep. Its song seemed to reach inside her mind and sooth her. She did not wake up again until light was beginning to show in the sky. She sat up, careful not to wake Legolas, and looked around the camp. There was something missing. She frowned wondering what it was and suddenly realised that Gandalf had disappeared. She frowned and stood up, searching the camp for him but found nothing. What if he was in trouble? No, he was a powerful wizard; he would be okay.  
  
Legolas opened his eyes at the sound of footsteps and found that Elimay was no longer at his side. He raised his head and saw that the camp was empty, and immediately panicked. He jumped to his feet and looked round but sighed with relief when he spotted Elimay crouched by the riverside, her silhouette dark against the lightening sky. He could not see Gandalf but was not so worried, knowing he was more capable of looking after himself.  
  
He knelt behind her and wrapped his arms round her, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Where's Gandalf?" he asked.  
  
"I don't know," Elimay answered. She was watching the fish jumping out of the water and then disappearing again hardly leaving any trace. Their scales shone briefly when they jumped, as the moonlight caught them.  
  
"We should get back to sleep; its not till morning," Legolas whispered, kissing her ear.  
  
"I'll come in a minute," she told him, as he got to his feet. She just wanted to watch the beauty of the night for a while. 


	25. Calm before the Storm

Thankyou for all the nice and constructive reviews I have received. Sorry this chapter is short; I wont be long in posting the other. XxX  
  
Charybdis- you go girl!!! (unless of course you are male in which case it wud be u go boy!!!)  
  
Calm before the Storm  
  
When they woke again in the morning, they found with relief that Gandalf was back. When they asked him where he had been, he just smiled and said, "Oh, just for a walk."  
  
And so they rode on, southwards down the river, past Lorien and towards Fangorn. At the southern point of Lorien they had to leave the side of the river though, for it started to run southeast.  
  
It took them a day's hard riding to reach the northern boarders of Fangorn and Elimay remembered all to clearly her escape attempt into the dark forest. They crossed the Limlight River the next afternoon, travelling along the eastern boarders of the forest. Thankfully the weather stayed warm and sunny, but there was still a biting wind that swept down from the mountains. The nights were cold and the fire hardly pushed back the wind.  
  
But they made progress and by the third day after reaching Fangorn, they had come to its southern boarders. They had now entered Rohan and went west, still not leaving the line of Fangorn. They could vaguely see the Gap of Rohan in the distance where Isengard lay in the mountains. They had to be more careful about lighting fires, as they grew closer.  
  
A cold biting wind whipped at her cheek as she stood on the mountainside, looking down at the tower of Isengard. It seemed so long since she had come here to find out whom she was to kill. The sight of the place brought a shiver of fear to her and she clutched her cloak tighter round her. They had left the horses down at the bottom of the mountain for it would be more discreet and faster along the shale without them. She felt Legolas' hand on her shoulder and looked to him, searching his eyes for any emotion. They showed fear for her and she drew her eyes away, not wanting to see that. Most of all she wished that he would show belief that she could do this.  
  
Gandalf led the way down into the valley, gradually growing nearer and nearer to Isengard. From the outside it seemed almost dead but Elimay knew better. It was just a disguise.  
  
The wizard stopped about a mile from the tower, and grabbed a handful of soil, throwing it into the air in front of him. It hit an invisible barrier and fell to the ground. "We can not go any further," he stated. "We will stay the night here and wait for morning until I open a gateway."  
  
Elimay gulped and tried to see the barrier, as Gandalf went a distance up the mountain to where there was a cave. She reached out her hand and her fingers touched something unseen that felt as smooth as steel. Pushing hard against it she found it was completely solid and impenetrable. Her eyes rose to look at the black tower that rose out of the earth and then she made herself turn her back to it, and follow the others up to the cave.  
  
They could not light a fire that night for they would have been spotted instantly. They could see the hoards of orcs that swarmed around the tower within the barrier. How Elimay was to get past those once through the invisible defence, she had no idea.  
  
Elimay sat at the entrance to the cave, examining the surroundings for any way through. She knew from her time here in the past, that the crevasse that snaked out across the rock from the tower were bottomless but in some there were narrow shelves along the side that she could go along without being seen. If she could get to one without being noticed, she would be able to get into Isengard. She sighed deeply, feeling her head beating painfully from all the hard thinking. She could hear Legolas and Gandalf in the cave, making a cold dinner and setting out the beds.  
  
She stood up and turned to observe her companions. Gandalf was smoking his pipe while setting out the dinner in their tin bowls, and Legolas was now sat cross-legged on his bedroll. A new frightening thought suddenly crept up on her; this might be her last night alive. Her last few hours alive. She shivered at the thought and quickly pushed it away, seeking serenity in observing Legolas. His actions as his fingers flickered over his arrows brought her back to her centre. As if he could sense her looking, he lifted his gaze to lock with hers. He could see all her fears and longed to take her in his arms, but the presence of the wizard prevented him.  
  
Unexpectedly though, Gandalf got to his feet. "The dinner is ready. I will return in a few hours; I need to examine Isengard's defences."  
  
Elimay smiled to him as he went past her into the night and then she looked back at the prince. She found that he had already risen and was before her in a breath. His eyes regarded her for a second then leant down touching his mouth to hers. If this were to be her last night alive, this would be the last time she and Legolas would have their own time together. She kissed him like she would never kiss him again, and felt his hands roving over her body with longing. She could feel his jaw working beneath her palm and it sent a thrill through her. Her groan of pleasure made Legolas want more and he felt the urgency of it.  
  
Suddenly he tasted salty tears in his mouth and realised that she was crying. He pulled away just enough to look upon her tearful face. Taking her hand he pulled her over to her bedroll and made her lie down. She was so tired, he could see plainly. He knew what she felt; that this might very well be her last night on earth, but he didn't want to make the thought solid by tiring her out.  
  
"Sleep, melamin," he whispered, pulling a blanket over her. She had already closed her eyes and so he did not seek to tell her to eat. She would benefit better from sleep. He sat by her side, waiting for Gandalf to return, eating his dinner in a sorrowful silence. What tomorrow would bring he did not know. 


	26. Preparations and Anticipations

Two chapters for u wonderful reviewers!!! Hope u enjoy!  
  
Preparations and Anticipations  
  
When Elimay opened her eyes, she hoped that everything had just been a bad dream. But the grey roof of the cave told her otherwise. She rolled onto her side and saw Legolas sleeping there. She snuggled against him, breathing in the fresh forest smell of him. He opened his eyes, roused by her movement, and caressed her cheek with his hand.  
  
"Did you sleep well?" he asked, smiling lightly to her.  
  
"As well as I could have," she answered, not able to return his smile.  
  
Her stomach turned with fear and she felt strangely cold. She wished with all her might that she were back in Rhun with her family, and unaffected by the wrath of Saruman. Nothing would be able to stem the panic she felt within her now.  
  
Without a word she got to her feet and saw that Gandalf was standing by the entrance to the cave. Ignoring Legolas' sound of protest at her leaving, she went to stand by the wizard. The new day showed the near impossibility of the task at hand. If she were to get past the barrier, she had to brave the treacherously thin ledge that ran along the inside of the deep crevasse. Then she had to pull herself out again, to enter Isengard by the only entrance. Thankfully the entrance itself was not guarded but there were hoards of orcs swarming over the flat rock that spanned out from the great tower. Once inside, she did not know what would happen. She felt the cool metal of her dagger against her skin in her boot, and prayed it would serve her well as it had done many times previously.  
  
Gandalf looked round to her as she approached him and gave her a small smile. "Good morning, Elimay. Are you ready for the day?"  
  
"I will never be ready, Gandalf," she confessed in a quiet voice. "But it must be done."  
  
He nodded and looked to the view before them. "I can make a small gateway in the barrier; just enough for you to get through. It will close quickly for I do not have enough power to hold it open for longer. You must go quickly and take to the ledge before you are spotted."  
  
Elimay nodded mutely and took a deep breath.  
  
"When you kill Saruman, we will be able to get through to help you; we will have enough at our hands out here with all those orcs."  
  
Elimay looked abruptly to him. "You will never come out alive with just the two of you," she cried. However skilled they both were, they could not face thousands of Saruman's worst beasts.  
  
Curiously, Gandalf smiled slightly and gave her a side look. "I may have a small trick up my sleeve. You must not worry about us my dear. Just focus on your task and get your family out of there. We will be able to cover you when you come out of the entrance."  
  
He makes it sound easy, she thought. He laid a hand on her shoulder and looked at her straight. "You have everything to live for," he told her. "Plus, we would not want to loose such a beautiful elf maiden."  
  
That made Elimay smile and her heart lightened slightly.  
  
The three companions crouched behind a jutting rock, just beside the invisible barrier. From their vantage point they had a clear view of the eastern side of the tower where the entrance lay. The sky was a light grey and unfortunately very clear, making the task of stealth a little harder, but they would have to make do.  
  
The wizard looked to the maiden and saw the fear in her eyes, but noticed that she had managed to find her centre. Then he glanced to Legolas, seeing that he was frowning at Elimay's back, a look of deep fear and sorrow in his eyes. His fingers were grasped around his bow and he held a sword in his other hand.  
  
When he managed to take a hold of himself, he stepped up to the maiden.  
  
"Eli," he whispered. She turned and looked at him, pushing back all her feelings making her seem cold and emotionless. He raised the sword to her but his eyes never left her face. "Your sword," he said.  
  
Elimay raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smile. "Now you decide to give it to me?"  
  
Legolas sighed more to himself than her and dropped his gaze. She shook her head. "I do not need it prince; it will only slow me down."  
  
The prince looked up at her again and frowned. "But what will you fight with?"  
  
She gave him a sly smile and put her hand on his. "I have my dagger."  
  
He looked momentarily surprised but then smiled. "I was wondering where it had gone. I was afraid that maybe I had lost it and was working up the courage to tell you."  
  
She laughed quietly and allowed herself a kiss. Her lips touched his soft cheek and she heard him sigh, wanting to move his lips to hers, but she pulled away. It would only make it harder.  
  
Then she took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and looked to Gandalf. "I am ready." 


	27. Into Hell

Into Hell  
  
She felt the air change slightly as Gandalf closed his eyes and spoke ancient words that almost rippled the air. She did not know what she was expecting; a flash of light or a crash of thunder, but suddenly the wizard pushed her and she fell through something that felt cold and clingy like water. There was a quiet slurping sound as the gateway closed behind her and she was through. She resisted the urge to look back as she heard Legolas call her name quietly. She was just inches from him but now a solid barrier separated them.  
  
Pushing all her emotions to the back of her mind, she quickly scaled the slight incline and then dropped down into the crack, disappearing from her friends' sight. She landed neatly on a small platform that made the beginning of the ridge. Looking down she found herself balanced above a deep dark oblivion and she quickly looked ahead, not wanting to think about what awaited her at the bottom if she fell. She could see that the ridge became very narrow; she would be on her tiptoes and hanging onto holes in the rock face. Swallowing back bile she began to pull herself along, using her elvish senses to help her keep her balance.  
  
The route seemed to go on forever. As she got nearer and nearer Isengard she could hear the rumble of the fires in the ground beneath her and the raucous voices of many orcs above her. She could not see how far she was away from her destination; all she could do was keep on going. The air grew hotter and she found herself sweating both from the heat and from increasing fear. She found it increasingly harder to take a deep breath to calm her for the air was filled with fumes from the fire.  
  
Finally she came to a platform like the one she had stepped down onto at the start. It could have been many hours or just a few minutes that she had spent pulling herself along, she could not tell, but her fingers and toes were aching from hanging on so tightly. She raised herself above the ground level ever so slowly and peered over. She was relieved to see that she was past the hoards of beasts and there was a clear path to the entrance. Looking back the way she had come she could not see Gandalf or Legolas, but knew they would be getting ready. How they would survive she had no idea, but she completely trusted Gandalf's assurance.  
  
She easily pulled herself up onto the rock floor and scanned her surroundings quickly before making a dash for the entrance. He feet were completely silent and she safely made the cover of the craggy rocks that surrounded the tower. She took cover and then looked over to see that she had come this far without being noticed. But then this bit was easy compared to what awaited her in the tower. She scaled the steps and was suddenly inside the dark cold interior of Isengard.  
  
Her heart was now beating so fast that she had to pause to calm it for a moment. As she crouched in the shadows, she used the time to get used to her surroundings. She remembered this place too well; the horrors that filled its interior and the sounds that penetrated the skull. At this moment there was no sound other than the flutter of a bird's wings somewhere up above, caught in the rafters but the silence was enough to make her shiver with fear. The quicker you do this the sooner it will be over, she told herself, before scanning one last time and then running up the stairs, her feet hardly touching the cold stone.  
  
Yet more silence greeted her at the top of the first floor and she paused to take out her dagger. She left one of the halves in her boot, just in case she was caught and her blade was taken from her. She felt only slightly safer with her faithful weapon in her hand and she stepped forward round the corner looking more confident than she actually felt. She was greeted with a sight that brought back terrible memories. She had been expecting it but had not been ready to face it. The door to the staircase that led down into the dungeons stood in front of her; a thick wooden door strengthened by iron hinges and locks that were drawn closed. This was surely where her mother and sister were but she could not get them out; it would be pointless for they would never get past the barrier. Images flashed through her mind of the terrors she had seen and felt it there; there was still the reminder of it in the form of a long thin scar across the bottom of her back. Such pain and torture she had endured before she had finally given in to do Saruman's wishes. She could still feel and hear the pain that escaped her. Now she was back for revenge.  
  
She drew her eyes away from the door of terrors and continued round the corridor that seemed to slope upwards slightly. She was making for the top level of the tower.  
  
Suddenly there was a sound behind her and she turned to see that two dark haired men had managed to creep up on her without her hearing, even with her elven ears. Her eyes widened when she saw them; she had never seen human men in Saruman's power before. But then she realised these were men or Mordor; Sauron's men. Saruman must have taken command of them when Sauron was destroyed. Their eyes were as dark as their hair and their skin was ruff and blemished with a scar or two. Elimay thought that they must have been handsome men before evil had taken them over. In their hands were clasped long swords, poised ready to attack.  
  
As they leapt, Elimay jumped into the air and kicked them back, giving her enough time to get her breath back from the shock. How were these men as quiet as elves? She swept out her blade and cut it outwards, so that the sharp elven steel connected with the flesh of the first man. He fell back into his companion and then to the floor, unable to get up for the extent of the wound. The second man came towards her and her blade clashed with his sword. The man was strong and almost knocked the dagger out of her right hand, but she spun it into the air, catching it again so that she had it in a better hold. She flipped into the air over the man and ran towards the doorway to the stairs but two more men greeted her. The tower had never been this well occupied when she was here; but then it was a while since she had entered Isengard. She panicked for a second and then kicked backwards, as she heard an approach behind. There was a grunt of pain but she did not stop to look. She charged through the two men, as they blocked her way to the upper levels. They seemed confused at why she wasn't making for the exit, but still their attack was heated.  
  
An attack from one knocked the blade from her hand this time and when she dived to get it, she was kicked onto her front. Her arms were pulled painfully behind her back and she was dragged up onto her feet again. She tried to hide her feelings of dread but they crept up on her as she realised she wouldn't be able to get out of this one no matter how much she struggled. One of the men picked her blade off the floor and put it into his belt. Seeing the look she was giving the dagger, he grinned at her nastily and then motioned for the men to take their captive to the master. 


	28. Facing the subject of her Revenge

Holy smoley. All the wonderfully reviews!!!! Thank you all sooooooooooo much. I hope u enjoy the next chapter!  
  
Facing the subject of her Revenge  
  
Legolas looked across at Gandalf and saw there was even fear in the wizard's eyes. They had sat there for a long time and still the barrier had not been lifted.  
  
"What's taking her so long?" he asked, but knowing what the answer might be.  
  
The wizard looked across at the prince and laid a hand on his. "Legolas do not give up yet. There is still time."  
  
"But what if..."  
  
"Legolas," Gandalf stopped him. "Have a little faith. She's not one to give up easily."  
  
For a very brief moment Legolas smiled, knowing exactly what Gandalf meant.  
  
"You must ready yourself for battle for it may come at any second," the wizard continued. "You can not let your emotions take over, please."  
  
The prince nodded sadly and took a deep breath. He wanted so much to spend his whole life with Elimay, and the small amount of time they had already had, was not enough.  
  
Elimay was pushed to her knees and her arms were allowed to fall at her sides. They ached with pain from being pulled back so forcefully. She lifted her eyes and saw the tall figure dressed in white standing by the window. As one of the men spoke of their entrance from behind Elimay, he turned and a slow smile of satisfaction crept onto his lips. He did not seem remotely surprised at her being there.  
  
"Ah, Elimay. I was wondering when you would get here." His voice was deep and almost grating in her ears. His long bony hands were clasped in front of him and his long white hair and beard was immaculate as usual.  
  
"How did you..?"  
  
"I knew that by telling you that I held your family, you would not be able to resist the urge to come after them," he explained.  
  
Elimay frowned. "But why do you want me?" she asked. Surely it would just be easier for him to kill her family causing her as much pain as possible for her failure.  
  
"Elimay," he soothed, his voice more like a spell causing her to feel defenceless. "You are my most talented worker. Your skill is beyond anything that any of my other men possess. It would be foolish of me to get rid of you. Instead, I intend to make you another deal."  
  
Elimay took in a hiss of air through her gritted teeth and she knew she was not going to like this.  
  
"I am doing this to offer you one last chance. If you do not comply or succeed, you, your family and the monastery of Rhun will be destroyed."  
  
Elimay held back tears of despair and pain and balled her hands into tight fists.  
  
"I have a whole army of orcs and Uruk-Hai waiting out there that have been the command to strike on my word or if I happen to... be killed. So you see, it is pointless for you to kill me," he smiled.  
  
The two men behind her laughed and Saruman immediately looked up at them sternly. "Get out," he told them. Their expressions fell and they bowed before leaving the room and closing the door behind them.  
  
Elimay sighed with hopelessness and lowered her gaze down to the floor. If she killed him, the army outside would kill Legolas and Gandalf. And if she complied with her master, they would be saved and so would her family and the monastery. But she did not want this anymore. She did not want to constantly be told what she was and wasn't allowed to do.  
  
Looking up again, she found Saruman was watching her.  
  
"What is the task?" she asked.  
  
He smiled and began to pace round the circular room. "For you to kill your family," he laughed. "In return you and the monastery will be spared. This will prove your devotion to me."  
  
Elimay screamed out at him in rage and got to her feet, no longer composed. "I will not kill my family!"  
  
Saruman raised his eyebrows. "Then you are causing their deaths and the deaths of many others."  
  
At this point, Elimay had her mind set. If she were to die, she would die defending her family. She took a deep breath and pretended to kneel as if she was giving into his command, but in a flash of lightning, she drew the second dagger from her boot and swept in it a wide arc. Saruman managed to jump back in time and drew his sword, to block another attack. Elimay had never know that he was this good at fighting, but then she realised that she was better. That was why he wanted her to work for him.  
  
Ducking under an arc his sword made, she kicked her foot out and swept her opponents legs out from under him. He plummeted to the ground and when he tried to rise, she threw her dagger.  
  
It hit true. His eyes were wide in pain and amazement as he looked down to the dagger protruding from his chest. But as he sank to the floor, there was a crooked smile on his face. He knew she had just given the order for the orcs to go on their rampage. The evil wizard died and then all was silent.  
  
Elimay looked down at what she had done, not quite believing it. Her breath was jagged from the fight and she was terrified to know that she would not find relief at his death. Cautiously she went up to the corpse and pulled out the dagger, wiping the blood from it on the wizard's robes. Then she opened the door to face another battle. At the sight of their dead master, the men became more than angry and their attacks on her were fierce. She blocked and attacked, dodging many times. All the time, she was making for the dungeon doors. The third man from earlier joined the two and she was fighting for her life.  
  
She managed to kill one with her dagger to his heart and on his way down, she seized her other dagger from his belt. This gave her more of an advantage and soon she was just faced with one. Their swords clashed and she blocked upwards. But she realised too late that he had deceived her and had pulled another sword hidden in his belt. It sunk into her gut and then he pulled it out, stepping back with satisfaction. She frowned at the pain, and looked down at her hand to see that it was already covered with blood from holding her stomach. Pain filled her to an unbelievable height and she almost blacked out, but she pictured her family and with her last ounce of strength, threw her dagger, landing it neatly in the man's forehead. He went down instantly.  
  
She sank to her knees, feeling herself grow faint. She had to get to her family. She wrenched the dagger from the man's head and joined it with the other, putting them in her belt. Then she dragged herself down the stairs, inch-by-inch, becoming slower and slower. The movement was causing her more pain but she was determined. A trail of blood was left behind on the stone and soon she reached the level where the door to the dungeons lay. She had it in her sights; it was so close. Groaning and clutching her stomach she reached out for the bolts, but then suddenly she gave into the injury and she slumped to the ground, unconscious and bleeding to death.  
  
XxXxXx Wow, it just keeps getting worse and worse for her!! Cliff hanger!! Mwahhhh. (supposed to be evil laugh; didn't quite know how to spell it!!) 


	29. A Surprise of delight and one of Horror

Okay, very sorry this chapter is so short so have posted two!!!  
  
A Surprise of delight and one of Horror  
  
A drop of rain landed on Legolas' nose and he reached up to wipe it away. They had been waiting a very long time now and he was beginning to give into the grief of realisation. He looked up to the sky and felt more rain drops land on his face. Gandalf had gone to see if he could see anything that might help them a few hours ago, and had not yet returned. He looked at the hoards of orcs and Uruk-Hai and felt dread creep up on him. Then his gaze went to the tower and imagined Elimay somewhere up there. He did not know how he would survive if she died. He was partly annoyed at her for such a cold goodbye she had given him, but knew deep inside that it was the only way she was going to make herself do what she had to do. He sighed, and lowered his eyes.  
  
Suddenly there was the sound of someone approaching and the elf raised his bow, with an arrow loaded. But he gave a sigh of relief when he saw it was the wizard. He stopped though, frowning when he saw the look of excitement on the old man's face.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Gandalf crouched back next to Legolas. "The barrier is broken. She has done it."  
  
Legolas immediately perked up. Maybe she was okay. She would make it! "Then let us go kill some orc," Legolas grinned.  
  
The thought that the idea was simply ludicrous never entered the elf's mind, following Gandalf's lead. There seemed to be a mischievous spark in the wizard's eyes. He had something up his sleeve.  
  
"Legolas," he said, "You must try and get into the tower and help Elimay."  
  
"But what about you? You can't..."  
  
Suddenly there was the sound of a horn ringing through the air and Legolas' eyes widened in amazement. He recognised that sound. It was the war horn of Lorien.  
  
Suddenly the whole rock escarpment was swarming with elves, leaping over the rocks and down towards the startled groups of orcs. There were hundreds of elves and as Legolas leapt up to join them, he saw with a strange delight and pride, that Haldir was among them. Even though they were certainly not the best of friends, Legolas felt a great gratification towards the Warden of Celeborn's guard.  
  
"Let us go," Gandalf cried. "I will cover you while you make towards the tower, and do not linger; she may be in danger." This jerked Legolas back to his senses and he leapt over the rock and into battle, with Gandalf behind him.  
  
With a force driven by adrenaline and the need to find Elimay, the elf charged through Saruman's army, killing any that got in his way. He received a few cuts but his mind was set and this finally got him to the entrance of Isengard.  
  
He ran silently up the steps with another elf following him, to aid him. Their swords were out, ready to receive any attack, but it seemed that Elimay had already dealt with that. The floor was littered with a few bodies that she had disposed of. He gave a smile at that but then, as he arrived at the first floor, he immediately froze to see a sight that he had wished he would never have to see.  
  
There on the floor, face down in a pool of dark blood, was Elimay. His heart almost ceased beating as he knelt down to his love and rolled her over to see that there was a huge bleeding wound in her gut. A gasp of horror escaped his lips as he pressed his hand hard to the wound, only feeling the blood seeping from her. He put his other hand on her face, finding that she was horribly cold. A tear fell from his eye as he leaned down to kiss her icy lips. "Eli," he whispered, "Don't leave me."  
  
A noise behind him made him look up, and he saw the elf that had come with him, shift uncomfortably. There was a look of sorrow on his face at the sight of the dying elf.  
  
Legolas managed to control his voice enough to tell the elf to go and see if he could release the prisoners from the dungeons. Then he picked Elimay up in his arms, and carried her limp body down the stairs. 


	30. Waking up alone

Waking up alone  
  
A sharp incapacitating pain in her stomach, greeted her as she regained consciousness. She was disorientated and suddenly felt panicky. Was she still in Isengard? Were her family dead? Was all that she had done, in vain?... Was Legolas dead?  
  
Her stomach cramped suddenly and she cried out in pain. A warm hand touched her face and when she opened her eyes she saw a youngish man looking down at her with concern. His hair was long and dark and there was stubble covering his face. But his eyes were kind and full of knowledge.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked, finding that her voice could only reach just above a whisper.  
  
"I am Aragorn, a friend of Legolas'."  
  
"I'm in Gondor?" she frowned, wondering why she was there.  
  
Aragorn shook his head, pleased that she had heard of him. "No, this is Lorien. The Lady Galadriel asked that I come up so I could tend to your injuries. The healers here are not advanced enough for wounds such as yours."  
  
"I must have been here a while then, if you travelled all that way."  
  
Aragorn smiled and lifted the bottom of her nightshirt to tend to her wound. "You have been unconscious nearly four weeks."  
  
Elimay gasped then it turned into one of pain as Aragorn touched her wound. "You are healing well, even though the pain you feel might tell you otherwise," he smiled, dressing the wound. His fingers were gentle, like an elf's and Elimay remembered Legolas telling her that Aragorn had been raised by elves. Where was Legolas anyway? And her family for that matter? She asked the man and he looked down at her with sympathy.  
  
"Your family is well and Galadriel made Legolas take them to Mirkwood where they could get a message to Rhun to say they were alright. Legolas insisted that he stayed with you but the lady ordered him to go."  
  
Elimay frowned and sighed. She had so much wanted to wake up to find Legolas smiling down at her, and her family fussing over her and telling her how stupid she had been. But then at least they were safe.  
  
"I will ride with you to Mirkwood when you are well enough," he told her. "Right now, you should feel lucky that you're alive."  
  
"What happened?" she asked, hoping Legolas had told him the whole story.  
  
"Well, Legolas explained that when you killed Saruman and the barrier was broken, the whole of the Lorien army suddenly appeared."  
  
Elimay gasped and her eyes widened in delight. So that was where Gandalf had disappeared to that night by Lorien.  
  
"He ran into the castle to find that you were near death. He carried you out of Isengard while another elf saw to your mother and sister, and they took you all to Lorien. They left just a week or so ago for Mirkwood."  
  
Elimay sighed, realising that she wouldn't see her family or Legolas for another few weeks at least.  
  
"Do not fret, Elimay," he told her, placing a hand on her arm. "Rest and the time will fly by. The sooner you get better, the sooner you will be able to see your family."  
  
So he didn't know about Legolas and herself? Or maybe he did but was just hiding it, unsure what to make of it. She suddenly felt very tired and the prospect of sleep seemed a good idea. She closed her eyes and soon after, fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
Elimay rested for another three days, until Aragorn could no longer keep her in her bed. She found it very hard to walk or do anything at all for that matter but her determination to get better quickly made her stubborn. She was further rejoiced to find that Gimli was still in Lorien along with Haldir and between elf and dwarf, the two managed to keep Elimay occupied.  
  
But soon, Aragorn could not even prevent Elimay from dragging her injured self up onto a horse and attempting to gallop all the way back to Mirkwood. He managed to stop her but had to promise that they would leave in the next few days. Only Gimli was unsurprised by her sheer stubbornness and rush to get to Mirkwood. 


	31. Rejoice for the sight of Mirkwood

Okay, some of you have noticed that this story seems to be winding down a bit but there are still a few chapters left to this story and I have begun to write a sequel so be looking out for that!!! Thanx!!  
  
Rejoice for the sight of Mirkwood  
  
Aragorn looked over at the elf maiden riding on the grey horse that was just in front of his brown gelding. She looked weary and pained, but he knew that if he said anything, she would just deny it. Gimli, who rode with Aragorn, also seemed to notice and often muttered his concerns to the ranger. They had been gone from Lorien two days now, and both man and dwarf could tell how much pain the early journey was causing her. Aragorn thought that the rush was to see her family, but did not have much of an idea that there was another piece to the puzzle. Legolas had not told him of their relationship but the ranger was very observant so could see that there was something between the two, but to what extent he did not realise.  
  
They had crossed the Anduin River at Lorien so they were now on the eastern shore. They had passed Dol Guldur a day ago so it was just another two or three days ride to the realm of Mirkwood where Thranduil lived. The part of Mirkwood that they were travelling along at the moment was renown for its many dangers and dark magic.  
  
Finally, after three days of riding, they were entering Thranduil's realm of Mirkwood. The trees were just as Elimay remembered them and she felt her heart lighten. Finally they were here. The woods were silent but all three of the company knew better than to assume that the trees were empty. As expected, they were greeted about an hour into the woods by Thranduil's guard, and were led the rest of the way by one of the soldiers.  
  
Aragorn once again looked over at Elimay, as he seemed to be doing so often. She was almost slumped over on her horse now and her lips had gone bloodless with pain. "Elimay," he said, trying not to impose on her feelings. "Do you not think you should rest, just for a while?"  
  
She turned to look at him and gave him a determined stare. "No. We are nearly there."  
  
He sighed and heard Gimli do the same. "The woman is certainly hardy, I'll give her that," Gimli whispered behind Aragorn. The ranger nodded mutely and drew his horse closer to Elimay's just in case she fell off it. In the state she was in it certainly seemed a possibility.  
  
"My lady, are you well?" asked the elf that was leading them.  
  
Elimay smiled across at the blonde haired soldier and sighed. "Yes, thank you for your concern."  
  
The elf passed a look of concern over at Aragorn but he just shrugged.  
  
They were led deep into Mirkwood and soon Elimay saw the tall stonewalls of the city, and the iron gates guarded by elves. For some reason she felt nervous all of a sudden.  
  
As they came to the gates, they slid off their steeds. Elimay found it hard to do it as easily as she had once done because of the pain in her gut. She felt two hands supporting her and she looked round to see Aragorn. As soon as she was on the ground, she stood up to her full height, and shook him off. "I'm okay," she told him.  
  
There was suddenly a commotion at the gate and Aragorn turned to see Legolas running towards them. He got to Elimay just as he legs collapsed beneath her.  
  
"Legolas!" she gasped, surprised that he had suddenly saved her. She laughed with happiness and their lips crashed into one another, duelling to make up for the time apart.  
  
"You're here," he whispered into her ear before kissing it.  
  
"Yes, my love. Though I wish I was in a better state to greet you."  
  
He looked down at her in his arms and chuckled. "I am just glad that you are alive."  
  
Aragorn and Gimli looked on at the display of such love, and then as the prince carried Elimay into the city of Mirkwood. The ranger frowned, finding that for once he was amazed to see the extent to which their feelings went. When Elimay had been unconscious, Legolas had hidden such displays of affection from him. Gimli laughed beside him and shook his head. "Such displays should be kept for when we don't have to see them." He did not take lightly to affection. The two followed after the prince and Elimay, glad that they were finally able to have a warm bath and rest.  
  
As soon as she opened her eyes, she felt herself sigh with happiness. It was all over. The pain that was in her stomach was only just a faint ache now, and she was free from her master. She couldn't quite believe it.  
  
She sat up and looked around the room she had been laid in. It was a light warm chamber with off white walls decorated with painted green ivy swirls and intricate wooden carvings. The stone floor was covered with reed matting and as she looked out of the of the balcony windows, she saw the tiled roof curving up at the end. The lush forest beyond was faded slightly by a mist of rain. It was as if she had never left Mirkwood.  
  
She dressed in a warm green dress and pulled on her black boots, then left the room to go and look for her family. She had not seen them yet even though she had slept here for two days. The corridors were silent and comforting; this place made her heart feel at peace for it felt so much like home.  
  
She had been wondering through the palace for a while, until she heard loud chatter and laughing. She made towards it and found herself entering a covered courtyard. Her eyes drifted over the scene and rested on the source of the laughter. There sat her mother and sister with Aragorn and Gimli.  
  
Elimay almost cried out with the joy at seeing them again. Their heads turned as she entered and the faces of her family blended to amazement and love. Lissy was the first to make a move. "Eli!" she cried, jumping up and running to her sister, flinging her arms around her. Elimay laughed with joy into her sister's light brown hair and felt tears coming to her eyes. "I missed you so much!" she whispered.  
  
She had thought she would never see her family again and this was just a dream come true. When she released Lissy, she saw that her mother was standing just in front of her, shaking her head at her. Elimay raised her brows, waiting to get her punishment. But then suddenly tears were falling from her mother's eyes. She embraced her tightly. "Don't ever try to be heroic again, do you hear me?"  
  
Elimay laughed and pulled back just enough to see her mother's face. "I couldn't leave you two to die in that place."  
  
Her mother caressed her daughter's cheek with her hand and smiled through her tears. "I'm just glad that we are all alive."  
  
They all sat down with Aragorn and Gimli, and Elimay felt at ease amongst her friends and family. They told her what had happened when they had been rescued from Isengard and she also learned how Legolas had not told them of what she had been to him before they had settled their differences.  
  
And so when they asked for her side of the story and she told them, they were both amazed to hear that she had been Legolas' assassin. Lissy laughed when she heard. "You are his assassin and now you are now his lo..."  
  
"Okay!" Elimay interrupted, feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason.  
  
As if on cue, there was the sound of someone entering the courtyard and Elimay knew it was Legolas even before he appeared next to her. He sat down beside her and she turned her head to see he was smiling at her. She almost gasped seeing his perfect face and breathtaking smile, and was instantly enthralled by him.  
  
"Legolas!" Lissy interrupted his staring. "How come you didn't tell us that Eli was your assassin?"  
  
Legolas laughed and turned to Elimay's sister. "I thought I would leave that up to Eli, seeing as she was the one that tried to kill me... twice!"  
  
"Was that because it was her job or because you were so annoying?" Elimay's mother asked.  
  
Legolas sniggered and caught the look of amusement on Elimay's face. "Most likely because she thought I was so annoying."  
  
Elimay looked at him in amazement. "It has taken you a long time to admit that!"  
  
"I didn't say I was actually annoying, I just said because you thought I was annoying." He caught a slap round the head at that and gave a grunt of pain. But then he caught her look of discomfort and realised that her injury was hurting as a result of laughing too much.  
  
"Come on," he said, pulling her gently to her feet. "You need to rest. You will have plenty of time to talk once you have completely healed."  
  
She seemed ready to protest but then her stomach cramped again and she clutched her hand to her gut.  
  
"Eli dear, do as Legolas says," her mother said.  
  
Legolas gave a grin of amusement. "You heard that," he told Elimay, smiling down at her. "You can't protest this time."  
  
"Just you wait," she told him, as he led her back into the building and up to her bed again. 


	32. Time to Reflect

Sorry it took so long to update; net wasn't working!!  
  
Time to Reflect  
  
For once, Elimay found that she actually felt rested and free of any burden. The feeling was wonderful. She had spent most of the time sleeping as ordered by both her family and Aragorn and Legolas. And so, when she was well enough, she reverted back to her old habits of slinking away unseen, much to Legolas' annoyance. Even though she was far too well to stay in bed all the time, he still insisted that she wasn't. Normally she would have been flattered for such care but now she was just restless and needed to train and get some fresh air.  
  
Once she was slightly better she had been given a room of her own to sleep in and it was a beautiful one at that, with large balcony windows and a small kitchen and toilet with bath. And so, once she had rested her tense muscles in a warm bath, she dressed and crept out of her room, making sure no one was nearby to stop her. It was raining again, when she stepped out into the gardens but she did not mind; it was a refreshing change from being cooped up inside. She strolled enjoying the freedom and allowed her thoughts to reflect on the past days.  
  
Only then did it hit her that she had actually killed Saruman and she couldn't contain her excitement so laughed out aloud, spinning round in the rain. The birds in the trees cried out and fluttered away, scared by her sudden outbreak. She laughed again and couldn't keep the huge grin off her face. She was already drenched and her clothes were clinging to every curve of her body but she didn't care. Her heart had never felt this light.  
  
She found herself by the river and knelt down to move the surface of the water. Large raindrops fell into the fast moving current and when she looked up, she was looking into a beautiful illusion falling down on her. She pulled her hair back from her face and let the water trickle down her cheeks, over her jaw and down her neck. She was free! Her family were saved and Saruman was dead! She suddenly wanted to see her family, just to prove to her that these feelings weren't just a dream. She leapt up and ran all the way back to the city, into the halls of the palace that was so like her home in Rhun.  
  
She found her sister coming from her room and as soon as she saw her, she ran and flung her arms round her. Lissy laughed in surprise and delight.  
  
"What's got into you?" she asked, when she was finally released.  
  
"I just wanted to know if everything that has happened is true," Elimay laughed.  
  
Lissy looked her up and down and then frowned. "You're drenched. You should be in bed!"  
  
Elimay frowned at her, her excitement slightly dulled by her sister's worrying. "I am better!" she exclaimed. "Besides, with the dance tonight, I need to be better."  
  
"Yes," Lissy smiled, her eyes lighting up at the thought. "I can't wait. We shall have to choose a dress for the occasion."  
  
The banquet that night was a celebration for the defeat of Saruman and though many had insisted on pushing the date forward a bit to make sure of her full recovery, Elimay had insisted that she was fine.  
  
"Have you seen Legolas anywhere?" Elimay asked suddenly, thinking that she hadn't seen him since yesterday.  
  
Lissy gave a smile at her worry and took her younger sister's hand. "He's with Aragorn and Gimli greeting some guests that have arrived for the celebrations."  
  
Lissy pushed open the door to one of the waiting rooms and heard voices. As she entered she saw Aragorn holding the hand of a dark haired elf maiden, and Gimli and Legolas standing with a blonde haired arrogant looking elf. Suddenly though, Elimay swept past her and looked overjoyed to see the elf.  
  
"Haldir!" she cried, flinging her arms round the March Warden. He looked slightly taken aback by the gesture but then appeared pleased. "I thought you never left Lorien!"  
  
Haldir laughed and released her as he saw the thunderous expression on Legolas' face. "I would never have missed this celebration, especially as it is in honour of you."  
  
Elimay blushed and Legolas scowled. Lissy almost laughed at the display. Elimay turned to see the other newcomer, and was surprised to see Aragorn had a hold on her.  
  
The maiden was beautiful with long black hair and pale skin. She wore a long grey riding tunic and had a necklace round her throat that looked exactly like the one that Aragorn wore.  
  
Elimay smiled and bowed her head in greeting. "I am Elimay of Rhun," she said.  
  
The elf maiden smiled back. "I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond."  
  
"Elrond? You hail from Rivendell?"  
  
"I was born in Rivendell, but now I live in Gondor.  
  
It was then that she realised that Arwen was Aragorn's wife they were king and queen of Gondor.  
  
"Eli," Legolas interrupted, giving her a hard stare. "You should be resting."  
  
The Queen of Gondor raised her dark eyebrows in amusement at the prince's protectiveness and had not missed the looks he had been giving Haldir. Elimay's beautiful face contorted into a look of distaste and looked ready to hit the prince. Arwen had not been told about Elimay's profession and would have been further amused if she found out.  
  
"You better stop your words or you will be the one that needs rest, my prince," she threatened. Haldir grinned and Gimli chuckled.  
  
"This is what I had to put up with all the way from Edoras," the dwarf complained.  
  
"One question," Aragorn said, interrupting their hard stares. "Why are you soaking wet?"  
  
Elimay smirked and let her eyes drift from Legolas to the ranger. "I was out in the rain. I went for a run," she said, exaggerating that she had been exerting herself, just to annoy the prince. It worked. He narrowed his eyes and she grinned at him.  
  
"So," Arwen said, changing the subject and trying to avoid a fight. "Are you all coming to the dance tonight?"  
  
Lissy nodded and cast a glance at Elimay to see that she was giving Legolas a suggestive look. Looking at Legolas she was alarmed to see that her gaze had affected him and there was a hungry look in his eyes.  
  
She quickly looked back to Arwen and smiled. "Yes, I'm looking forward to it. And you?"  
  
Arwen nodded. "It has been a while since we have all been together," she said, pulling Aragorn closer to her and sighing.  
  
"What will you be wearing tonight?" Haldir asked Elimay.  
  
"Hmm, I haven't decided yet. I have been considering wearing nothing what so ever." Her gaze never left Legolas; she was teasing him and he knew it but admitted that he was enjoying it.  
  
The whole group laughed and Lissy looked slightly worried. She took her sister's arm and pulled her towards the door. "I think I better help you pick something out," she said, needing an excuse to get Elimay away from the looks Legolas was giving her. Even though she knew they were together, she was not used to Elimay getting that kind of attention and being the older sister, she was slightly over protective.  
  
As soon as they had exited the room, Legolas scowled at Haldir once again, just for the sake of it. 


	33. Drunken Escapades

Drunken Escapades  
  
Aragorn and Arwen stood with the Rivendell Lord that had arrived earlier that day.  
  
"It has been along time since I have seen my daughter," Elrond said, sipping his drink. "I blame you," he told Aragorn, but with a look of amusement on his face.  
  
Aragorn smirked at his father in law and Arwen laughed beside him. "I would like to meet this elf that we are honouring," he continued. "I have heard many things about her."  
  
"I bet you haven't heard that she is Legolas' assassin though," Aragorn smiled, getting an amazed reaction from both Elrond and Arwen.  
  
"What?" they both said together.  
  
Aragorn laughed and the nodded. "It is true. Who ever thought that the Prince would fall in love with his assassin?"  
  
Both looked even more amazed if that was possible. "He is in love with her?" Elrond gasped.  
  
The ranger nodded. "Apparently, according to Gimli, it took a while for them to admit it to each other, but they fight like they are already married!"  
  
"Hmm," Elrond smiled, his heart lightened by the fact that love had been found amongst turmoil. "Now I really want to meet this lady."  
  
"Well," Aragorn said, looking over to the door of the hall. "You shan't have long to wait. Here she comes now."  
  
Elrond and Arwen turned to look in the direction that Aragorn was looking and were momentarily lost for words at the beauty of the elven maiden that had just entered the room. Her long dark curls hung loose down her partly bare back. The dress she wore was red and floated around her feet as she moved. The corset was strapless and lined with lace, and tiny embroidered flowers adorned the material of the dress. The material clung like a second skin to the delicious curves of her body and then flared out at her upper thighs. Her emerald eyes were darkened further by kohl and her lips matched the colour of the dress. The transformation from assassin to maiden was clear.  
  
"That's Elimay?" Elrond murmured, having never seen her before. Aragorn nodded and motioned to her when he caught her eye. She glided over, totally oblivious to the fact that she was turning heads.  
  
"Good evening," she said, as she came up to the company. Elrond bowed his head and kissed her hand, much to her delight. "My lady, I am Elrond of Rivendell."  
  
"It is an honour to meet you. I have always wanted to visit Rivendell though my many travels have not taken me that far yet." "You are welcome to visit at any time. It would be a delight to have you come and stay," Elrond said.  
  
Elimay smiled and flicked her hair back over her shoulder, which was a habit of hers. "Thank you."  
  
"Do you plan to dance tonight?" Arwen asked.  
  
Elimay nodded and then smiled. "I also plan to get drunk."  
  
All three present laughed at her confession and Elrond handed her a drink from the table. "One to get you started," he said.  
  
"Thank you. I must leave you to find my family. Lissy disappeared when I entered the hall," she said, looking round the hall. "I will hopefully see you later in the evening."  
  
All three bowed and then she left them.  
  
"It is hard to see her as an assassin," Elrond admitted, "But it is easy to see why Legolas loves her. There is such emotion in her eyes that you want to know her."  
  
Aragorn nodded and watched the elf disappear into the crowd.  
  
The moment Legolas saw Elimay; he found it very hard to stand. The sight of her was enough to make him just grab her and ravish her until there was no breath left in his body. But seeing as the hall was nearly full to bursting with people, it would have been a bad idea. Gimli grunted beside him and nodded his approval. "Now don't you feel glad that she is now yours," the dwarf said, knowing that Haldir had been in line but was now out of the question.  
  
Legolas found himself nodding even though he still hated to admit to the dwarf that he had been right all along. Through the throngs of people, he could see the maiden in question with her sister. They were both laughing and dancing to the music and he noticed with annoyance, that Elimay held a glass of wine in her hand. He would soon see to that.  
  
He strode through the crowds and finally found himself beside her. She smiled up at him but then frowned when he took the glass from her hand. The incident was immediately forgotten however, when she saw how amazingly handsome he looked. He wore a silver tunic that fitted so well that she could see the shape of his muscles beneath the material. His hair was neatly braided in a new fashion to how he usually wore it, and it made his eyes look darker. Once again she found herself thinking, as she had been doing so often, how she had ever even thought about killing this breathtaking creature.  
  
"Good evening, Legolas," Lissy said, interrupting her gaze of admiration. She had not been drinking and so her sober mind did not miss the slight sway that her sister gave. She quickly took her arm, smiling innocently to disguise the fact that she was slightly tipsy. The prince wouldn't like to know how much she had already had.  
  
"Good evening, Lissy," Legolas said, bowing to her.  
  
"I will take that," she said, taking the glass from his hand and veering off into the crowd before Elimay could snatch it back.  
  
Legolas broke their stare by leaning down to kiss her cheek. When he withdrew she looked disappointed. "Is that all I get?" she asked.  
  
He grinned and leaned down for a full on kiss that sent his stomach fluttering. He let his fingers trace her spine down the bare bit of her back and the feeling of her skin was wonderful. His tongue slipped in to her open mouth and she sighed, her head spinning slightly from the drink and from the feelings he was giving her.  
  
Suddenly though, she grinned against his mouth and withdrew, with a sound of protest from him. "Dance with me, melamin."  
  
He grabbed her hand and spun her round, making her almost fall with the force of it. He caught her other hand and weaved his fingers with hers, bringing her close to his chest. He then released his hands and put them on her waist to find with delight that she was moving with the music, her hips moving from side to side. She turned round to push her back against him and let his hands move round to rest on her stomach. He fluttered kisses up her neck but she moved away before his lips reached her ear, just to tease him. She turned to face him again and smiled as she pulled her arms round his neck, stroking his skin mischievously with her fingers, reaching beneath his collar.  
  
Their flirting, however, was interrupted by a loud voice telling everyone that the meal was ready. Legolas heaved a frustrated sigh and took her hand, leading her to the tables.  
  
Elimay had now consumed a very large amount of alcohol and was feeling the effects. They were coming to the end of the meal and she uncouthly burped then giggled.  
  
Lissy looked at her sister from across the table. "Eli, are you drunk?"  
  
Elimay shook her head a bit too much and nearly overbalanced herself in her chair, only to be saved by Legolas, who sat beside her. Unfortunately for him, he had not been able to keep an eye on how much she had been drinking for he had been subjected to a long heated conversation with Elrond, who sat on his other side.  
  
"Haldir," Elimay pondered, her words slightly slurred.  
  
The March warden who sat next to her turned his head to observe her. "Yes Elimay?"  
  
"Don't you think Legolas is sexy?"  
  
Haldir looked very alarmed and Lissy burst out laughing. "Um..." he stuttered.  
  
"I just want to..." Her words were cut short to save further embarrassment, by Legolas' hand clamped over her mouth. Her eyes widened and she tried to wrench his hand from her lips.  
  
"I will remove my hand if you promise to say nothing of... of what you wish to do," he told her, embarrassed at her questioning of what Haldir thought of him.  
  
She mutely nodded and felt his hand leave her mouth. "Maybe you don't," she told Haldir and he gave a weak smile. "You know what I think?"  
  
Haldir didn't really know if he wanted to know, but asked anyway.  
  
"I think you and my sister would be good together."  
  
Haldir looked slightly relieved that it wasn't anything more about how sexy Legolas was, but was still embarrassed. "Um, do you?"  
  
She nodded enthusiastically. "Yes. Have you talked to her?"  
  
"Not properly, no."  
  
She looked across to Gimli who was sat beside Lissy and called out to him. "Gimli, will you swap places with Haldir? He wants to talk to my sister."  
  
Gimli looked across the table and seemed mildly amused at Elimay's drunken state and the look of embarrassment on the March Warden's face. "Why, of course!" he grinned.  
  
"Go on Haldir!" Elimay said, pushing him to his feet. "She doesn't bite."  
  
Lissy was apparently oblivious to her sister's matchmaking attempts and only realised the change when Haldir had sat beside her somewhat hesitantly and cleared his throat.  
  
"Are you enjoying your meal my lady?" he asked.  
  
She smiled and nodded.  
  
Elimay was pleased with her attempts and turned her attention to Legolas who was talking to Elrond again. She boldly reached beneath the table and put her hand on his thigh, making him squeak in mid-sentence. Elrond looked taken aback having not seen what Elimay was doing. The next moment there was a loud thump and both turned to see that Elimay had fallen off her chair and now lay laughing at the top of her voice from the floor. Thankfully, people had begun to rise from the tables to dance and so the incident wasn't noticed as much as if everyone had still been at the tables.  
  
There was a deep voice above Elimay and she looked up to see with delight that Gandalf was smiling down at her. "I see that you are much better," he laughed, helping her to her feet.  
  
"I'm glad you think so, because no one else does," she told him, hugging him and then gripping onto Legolas' shoulder to keep from falling again.  
  
"You look very beautiful tonight," he said.  
  
"Thank you, Gandalf," she blushed. "Would you like a seat?" she asked, offering hers.  
  
"Where are you going to sit?"  
  
"I think I am going for a walk," she said, giving him her chair and then swerving off in the direction of the doors. Legolas immediately jumped up from his seat to go and rescue her.  
  
"They make a sweet couple don't you think?" Gimli said.  
  
Gandalf smiled and nodded. 


	34. Missing

Missing  
  
Legolas ran after Elimay and reached her just as she stumbled out into the gardens. He took her arm but to his surprise she shrugged him off and gave him a hard stare.  
  
"Oh, so now you notice me?" she shouted, her words slurred.  
  
He frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You have spent all evening talking to Elrond and haven't even noticed me! I think that you don't even want to talk to me!" She staggered into the darkness beyond and Legolas went after her.  
  
"Eli!" he said, taking her arm again. He dodged her fist as it came towards his head. It was a good job she was drunk really, or she wouldn't have missed. He held both her arms to stop her hitting out at him and made her look at him.  
  
"Eli, I am sorry, but I haven't seen Elrond for ages. He had lots to tell me."  
  
He sure hoped that this rage was from the drink and not for real.  
  
"I don't care! If you really wanted me, you would have at least acknowledged that I was there right beside you!"  
  
She pulled away from him and disappeared into the darkness again, leaving only the sound of her cry of frustration. When he got over the shock of her words he raced after her but to his horror, discovered that he could not find her.  
  
"Shit," he muttered, searching through the darkness.  
  
His elven eyes picked up many movements but they could easily have just been the trees, and the falling rain dulled the scene before him even more. If he didn't find her soon, she might suffer from being drenched. He felt guilty for not keeping an eye on how much she had been drinking; if he had not let her get drunk, this would have never happened. There was also the threat of dangers that lurked in the forest of Mirkwood. He had lived here all his life but he still practiced caution when walking through these woods.  
  
He searched with growing panic and guilt and hoped with all his heart that nothing had happened to her. When he had been searching for hours and the night was very late, he had to return to the city, knowing it would be better if he alerted the others.  
  
When he got back, the party was finishing and some asleep or unconscious in their chairs from the drink. He found Aragorn with Gandalf and told them what had happened.  
  
They quickly rushed to the stables and took horses to search quicker.  
They were just trotting out of the gates when a figure appeared out of the trees. When he came into the light they saw it was Elladan and in his arms was Elimay. Legolas leapt off his horse and almost kissed Elladan, he was so relieved to see she was okay.  
  
"What happened?" he asked the warden as he took the unconscious Elimay from his arms.  
  
"I was on my guard flet when this figure came stumbling through the trees and then collapsed on the ground. I recognised her from when I led you and her through the forest all those months ago," he explained.  
  
Legolas thanked him gratefully and carried her into the palace to her room where he laid her in her bed.  
  
Elimay woke slowly and gradually became aware that someone was knocking on her door. The loud bangs filtered through into her fuzzy head and made her forehead ache painfully. She frowned, not remembering anything of the night beyond first sitting down to eat the meal at the banquet. She realised that she was lying on her bed and wondered how she had got there. She moved her almost paralysed hand to feel that she still wore her dress.  
  
More knocking broke her realisation and she slowly moved her groggy body. "Mmm?" she mumbled into her pillow. Her head was so painful that her mind was blurred and she did not even venture to open her eyes, as it was already too bright with them closed.  
  
"Eli?!" a shout came from the other side of the door and she became so angry that the person had woken her that she screamed out at them.  
  
"What?"  
  
This proved fatal however and she let out a loud groan as her head was shot with pain. She heard the door open and then close and then felt someone shaking her.  
  
She wanted so much to grab the person around the neck and strangle them but her body was still incapacitated. She did not want to feel like this! Why oh why did she drink so much?  
  
"Mmm?" she mumbled again, just to satisfy their want of a reply.  
  
"Are you awake?"  
  
"Go away," she groaned, hiding her face in the pillow.  
  
She heard her visitor sigh and then she was roughly grabbed and rolled onto her back. Straining to open her eyes, she managed to slit them and saw Legolas looking down at her with an angry expression on his face. Why was he angry? What had she done now?  
  
"For once will you stop being so selfish and make an effort to get up!" he growled, standing up and moving over to the windows to pull open the curtains.  
  
She groaned with the influx of light and then wondered how the hell she was being selfish. She was allowed a lie in, especially as she felt like crap.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" she murmured. She had meant it as a shout but realised it would only cause her more pain.  
  
"You don't remember?" he said, moving back to the bed and leaning over her.  
  
"Remember what?"  
  
This made him look even more furious and he jerked her into a sitting position. She was growing angrier by the second at his peculiar behaviour and wondered what this thing was she had done that was so terrible. He handed her a drink and she hesitantly took it.  
  
"Drink this," he said.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Drink it!" he shouted harshly and she looked wide-eyed at him.  
  
"No!" she said. "Not if you're going to speak to me like that."  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to relax his nerves. When he opened them again, he saw her frowning at him. "Please, it will make your headache go away." His voice was calmer but still strained.  
  
She increased her frown then gulped down the drink and found with relief that it did in fact help. Her headache faded until it was just a faint pain over her eyes. He took the cup from her and placed it on the bedside table.  
  
"Now tell me," Elimay said, sitting back against the wall. "Why the hell am I selfish?"  
  
His jaw tensed and she saw with alarm that behind the anger in his eyes, there was worry and guilt. He told her swiftly of her disappearance that night, ending with the fact that Mirkwood was a very dangerous place for an unarmed maiden. At his words, she found pieces of memory returning to her and she remembered running off into the forest away from Legolas. She could still not remember why though.  
  
It explained why the prince was so worried but she could not understand why he was angry with her; she had not known what she was doing.  
  
She got out of bed and pulled her trousers on under the skirt of her dress and then her shirt over the corset before pulling the dress off. She turned again to see that the prince was watching her, still with an angry look on his face.  
  
She sighed. "Look, I am very sorry that I caused you all that anguish, but I didn't mean for the night to end like that. I'm allowed to get drunk once in a while aren't I?"  
  
He was still frowning so she slowly sidled up to him and laid her hands on his chest. She fluttered her lashes at him and put on an innocent face. "Are you going to give me silent treatment for ever?"  
  
Her fingers followed the line of his muscles beneath his light cotton shirt and she saw a muscle in his jaw jerk. Her eyes still watched his face as she saw him succumb to her teasing.  
  
Just when he looked like he was ready to grab her and smother her with his lips, she drew back and smiled. "I think I'm going to take a bath. I probably stink of drink."  
  
His eyes flashed in the light as he blinked, watching her gather a towel and shampoo and soap.  
  
"You're not going to guard me are you?" she said slyly. He growled and opened the door, stepping out into the corridor. She followed out then turned in the opposite direction. She shrugged at his annoyance and he only just heard her saw, "Pity," before she disappeared down the corridor. 


	35. This is Love

Ach! I'm sorry I haven't updated in yonks. Been oh so busy with my art exhibition for college. And yes I know this is a very short chapter and am very sorry once again; you wont have to wait so long next time for me to update. Thanks for you reviews once again!!  
  
This is Love  
  
The next morning Elimay woke to find Lissy shaking her. "Wakey wakey sis," she called.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You should be up by now. We need to get going."  
  
"Going? Where?"  
  
"Back to Rhun of course!"  
  
Elimay frowned and sat up. "Since when where we going so soon?" "Mother is anxious to be back, to see if everyone is okay back at the monastery."  
  
Elimay sighed and got out of bed, dressing quickly. She could not wait to see her home again, but suddenly, now that they were going, she felt that she did not want to go just yet. She was enjoying her time in Mirkwood.  
  
She pulled on her boots and hastily packed her bag then followed her sister down to the main hall where her mother was waiting.  
  
"Eli, my dear. I am sorry for such a hasty departure but I am anxious to see if our home is okay. I had a strange dream last night," he mother told her.  
  
"What did you dream?"  
  
She sighed and there was fear in her eyes. "That the survivors of Saruman's army attacked the city and destroyed it. I can not shake off the feeling of fear and I must see the monastery for myself."  
  
Elimay nodded mutely and turned to see that Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas had entered the hall. To her disappointment, she realised that they wouldn't be coming. She knew that Legolas had duties in Mirkwood and couldn't just keep avoiding them to be with her. Maybe some time apart would do them good and make them realise how much they loved each other. She gulped down a lump that had formed in her throat and followed everyone out to the courtyard where three horses waited, packed with supplies for the journey.  
  
She tied her pack onto a grey gelding and then turned to face the others. She saw with puzzlement that Lissy's eyes were searching anxiously for someone. Then suddenly Haldir rushed into the courtyard and her face lit up. To Elimay's complete amazement he threw his arms round Lissy and kissed her forehead. She obviously didn't remember her attempts at matchmaking a few nights back. She also hadn't noticed that her sister had been spending a lot of time with Haldir since the party.  
  
The March Warden then came to her and kissed her hand lightly, bowing to her. "My lady, I am sad to see you go, but hope that I will see you again."  
  
Elimay was still too shocked to say anything, so just nodded and smiled faintly. Aragorn and Gimli hugged her and gave her their farewells then she came to Legolas. Luckily the others were absorbed in their goodbyes so they were allowed a few moments to themselves.  
  
The prince reached up to touch his fingers to her lips and she kissed them. "I shall miss you prince. Don't forget about me."  
  
"Never," he said, before leaning down to kiss her. He held her as close as he could against him and she drew her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in. His fingers tangled in her hair and his lips ran over hers hungrily. His tongue duelled with hers as if they were trying to draw the life from each other. He did not want to let her go and he held her tightly as if preventing anyone from taking her away from him.  
  
"I have to go," she whispered, when she managed to free herself enough to speak.  
  
"Marry me," he said suddenly, and she gaped at him, utterly taken aback by his words.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Marry me," he said again, his eyes searching hers in earnest.  
  
She looked at him, her eyes wide with surprise and slowly her lips curled into a smile of delight. She laughed out aloud in pleasure throwing her head back and shouting, "Yes!" before looking back at the prince to see that he was grinning widely. "Yes," she repeated. "I will marry you."  
  
He drew her in for a long kiss and only broke it when there was loud cheering behind them. Both turned to see everyone present had witnessed the proposal and had looks of delight on their faces. Elimay turned her head back to look at Legolas and smiled. "This is love."  
  
"I will be waiting for you when you return," he said, kissing her again then letting her go.  
  
She could not hide the smile on her face as she jumped onto her horse and followed her family out of the gates of Mirkwood and into the forest. She turned her head one last time and saw Legolas smiling back at her. The only regret she had was that she would not see him for a while. But time apart makes the heart fonder. 


	36. A Place Called Home

I have done Elimay's home and the people there in a kind of 'Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon' kinda way coz that's how I see it!!  
  
A Place called Home  
  
They travelled over many days of rain and then warmer weather. Their horses took them out of Mirkwood and onto the plains of Rhovanion. The thought of being home spurred them on and soon they could see the mountains of Rhun on the horizon. Behind would be the Sea of Rhun where the city lay.  
  
Many times Elimay caught her mother and sister smiling at her and she frowned. "Why are you constantly grinning at me?" she asked them.  
  
"My daughter is getting married!" he mother said. "That is enough to smile at."  
  
Elimay laughed and then looked to Lissy. "And you; when did this thing with Haldir get going?"  
  
She blushed slightly and smiled. "Haldir told me that you were matchmaking." Elimay frowned and then laughed, realising that it must have been one of her many actions during her drunken state at the party. "And I succeeded?" she exclaimed. "I am glad that you have found someone. Haldir is a good man but there is much sorrow in his heart."  
  
Lissy smiled sadly. "Yes, he told me of his wife's death. I only hope that I can ease the long felt pain."  
  
"I think you will."  
  
After weeks of travelling, they came to the mountains and went north of them to enter into Rhun. Then the sea was before them and down in the valley was the city.  
  
"We are nearly home, after all this time," Elimay sighed happily, only wishing that Legolas were here to see it with her.  
  
The next day they came to the outskirts of the city and entered the gates.  
  
"Who goes there?" a voice said. A dark haired elf came out of the watchtower and looked up at them. When he saw who they were he cried out in surprise and delight. "You are alive!" he exclaimed. "We all thought you were dead."  
  
Elimay's mother smiled. "There is much to tell. If you would lead us to the monastery, you will hear our great adventure, though it is mostly Elimay's to tell."  
  
The guard bowed and told someone to take their horses to the stable then led them through the city. Many recognised the three and cried out for joy to see them alive and well. Elimay noticed, however, that things seemed different from what she remembered them to be. Many buildings seemed to have been burnt to the ground and were only just being rebuilt again, and some faces hid sorrow in their eyes. Elimay cast the observations to the back of her mind, to ask about when she had arrived at the monastery.  
  
News spread fast and as they climbed the steps to the entrance of the great stone monastery, three figures ran out to greet them with outstretched arms. There was Elimay's trainer and a great friend of the family, her and Lissy's nurse from when they had been little, and the king of Rhun.  
  
"Mu Bi!" Elimay exclaimed, giving into the embrace of her old weapon's master.  
  
"I have not seen you for many years now, yet you look the same," he said, pulling back to look at her. "But I see in your eyes that your soul has nurtured and you have grown into a powerful warrior."  
  
Elimay smiled. "You will be thrilled to hear of my story then, of all the things that have happened to me. There is much to tell."  
  
"I look forward to it."  
  
Her nurse, Yemi, hugged her next and Elimay saw with alarm that even though, as an elf, she had not aged at all physically, in her eyes she looked old and tired. "It is wonderful to see you before I leave," the old nurse said, kissing her cheek tenderly.  
  
"Leave?" Elimay said.  
  
Yemi nodded. "I leave for the Grey Havens in but a few days. My time on this earth has come to an end and the sea calls out to me."  
  
Elimay looked at her shocked, and shook her head but the nurse smiled. "Eli dear, my life is fulfilled. There is nothing else that would make me happier now that I know that you and your family are safe. It is good to leave on such a note."  
  
Reluctantly Elimay nodded and hugged her nurse again. "You will be further pleased, then, to hear that I am to be married."  
  
The nurse looked overjoyed and took her hand. "Married? To whom?"  
  
Elimay smiled shyly. "The Prince of Mirkwood."  
  
"Legolas. I am so pleased for you my dear. He is a wonderful elf."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Lord Otori was the last to greet her and he walked with her as they entered the cool halls of the monastery. "Welcome home. It has been a long while."  
  
"Yes," Elimay nodded. "It is good to be back, but I will not be staying for long, for my love resides in Mirkwood."  
  
"Yes, I heard. You will be a princess."  
  
Elimay smiled and nodded again. "A princess. Yes, I will."  
  
"We will miss your presence here as we have done over the past few years, but will be glad to know you are safe and happy."  
  
"Thank you my Lord. I am sure you are anxious to hear of my adventures."  
  
Otori smiled and looked round to the young maiden that he had watched grow up. He was incredibly fond of her, as was everyone else that knew her. "Very anxious," he told her.  
  
They were allowed a bath and some food before they settled down to tell their tales, and many were there to listen to how Elimay had set out to secure her family and the monastery's safety like her father had done. They were amused when they learned that the prince she was to marry was actually the one she had to assassin to do this, and all present felt warmed at hearing of such love. Gasps were heard when she told them of her injury in the fight with the orcs, and her near death in Isengard. And so they didn't get to bed for a much needed rest until late in the night when they were finally finished with the telling of their adventures.  
  
Even though she had not lain in her bed in her old room for a few years, she still knew where she was when she opened her eyes. The familiarities were still there to welcome her to the new day; the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff that the city lay on, the scented smell of her room that was filled with small wisps of smoke from the incense stick on the window ledge, and the feel of the mattress beneath her body. She was home. She smiled as she opened her eyes and sighed happily.  
  
Then she got up and dressed in her native clothing that she had not worn since she had left Rhun. She pulled on a long white shirt and then loose fitting trousers, before shrugging a knee-length tunic of deep red, with a high collar crossed at her waist and tied with a black belt. The sleeves flared out slightly and she let her hair fall loose.  
  
Making her way down to the hall, Lord Otori greeted her and she bowed to him as he approached her. "Good morning my lord."  
  
He inclined his head and then looked over at her. "Would you join me in my quarters for breakfast? I wish to speak with you."  
  
"I would be honoured," she said, smiling and falling into step beside him. They walked in silence to the door to Otori's chambers, and he pushed it open, ushering her in.  
  
They sat at a small table while a servant put the food on the table for them. Elimay was pleased to see the steaming hot green tea that she had missed all this time. They drank and then ate as Otori spoke to her.  
  
"Much has happened here since you were gone," he told her, taking a bite of his bread.  
  
Elimay nodded. "Yes, I noticed that many buildings have been burnt and there is a strange feeling about the city."  
  
The Lord took a deep breath and looked over to her. "Just a few weeks before your return, we were attacked by an army of orcs and Uruk-Hai. There were few; maybe three hundred or so, but the people that did not know how to fight were killed. There have been many losses here and that is why a vale of sorrow hangs over this city. Our warriors managed to kill the enemies but it has scared this place."  
  
Elimay gasped, her food now lay forgotten on her plate. "They must be the survivors of the battle at Isengard. I had no idea that they would still try and do Saruman's bidding." She remembered her mother telling her of her dream and knew that what she had dreamed had really happened. "I am so sorry. I have failed."  
  
"No!" Otori said, grasping her hand that lay on the table. "You have not failed. Your family is safe and if it weren't for you, Gandalf and the elves of Lorien, this city would have been completely destroyed. If anything, your return has brought hope back to this city."  
  
Elimay looked over at him with tearful eyes. "Really?"  
  
"Yes. We owe you everything; you are a hero."  
  
Elimay gave a small smile and shook her head. "I was just doing what I though was right."  
  
"I know," he said, smiling at her before returning to his meal. "This world will never be free of evil but people like you make it a better place. You deserve more happiness that anyone can ever give you."  
  
"Thank you, though I must admit, sometimes I really did want to kill the prince of Mirkwood."  
  
He laughed and Elimay saw that there was a new light in his eyes. "I can imagine." 


	37. We Float

I am soooooooooo sorry I took very long to put up the last chapter to this story; been house sitting for someone!! Even though this is the last chapter, you have the sequel to look forward to (if your not sick of this one already!).  
  
We Float  
  
Elimay stayed in Rhun for another few weeks, gratefully accepting the many congratulations and thanks she received. Mu Bi was pleased to see that her years away had improved her skills with the sword and dagger to new heights and even he could not keep up with her attacks. All were saddened though, to hear that she would be leaving.  
  
The day she was to leave, she stood in the early morning sun packing her horse, Raku, with supplies and her bag.  
  
"Eli," a voice called. She turned to see her sister and mother approach. She smiled in greeting and stopped her task to hug them.  
  
"I have something for you that was once mine," her mother said.  
  
She took a necklace out of her palm and Elimay gasped, remembering it to be her mother's favourite. It was a small silver star in which a diamond sat. It hung delicately on a fine silver chain. "Mother," she said. "It is your favourite; I can not take it."  
  
"It is mine to give. Please," she said, holding the necklace up.  
  
Hesitantly Elimay lifted her braid up and let her mother fasten the pendant round her neck. It felt cool against her skin and she smiled. "Thank you." Her mother kissed her and then drew back, not liking farewells.  
  
"Eli, will you give this to Haldir," Lissy asked, stepping forward and handing her a tightly rolled and sealed scroll. "If he is not in Mirkwood, will you send it with a messenger?"  
  
Elimay smiled. "Of course. I will miss you, sister." She hugged her tightly and kissed her cheek. Then she leapt onto her horse and smiled back at them. She had said her goodbyes to the others earlier and now she was eager to leave.  
  
"Are you sure you don't want anyone to go with you?" Lissy said.  
  
"I will be fine. Don't worry about me. My husband to be and I will come and visit you," she called as she waved her hand and then set Raku off into a gallop through the gates of Rhun and onto the plains of Rhovanion.  
  
It was thrilling to be back travelling on her own again, with the wind in her hair and the whole world before her. She felt as free as a shooting star and her heart lit up like one. She galloped over the dusty plains only stopping for a brief night's rest and to feed Raku. She made quicker progress on her own and soon she had the dark forest of Mirkwood in her sights. Thankfully, the weather stayed nice all the way and there was never any need for her cloak except for when she slept at night.  
  
She reached the eastern boarders of Mirkwood in the evening just as the sun was setting and a warm light was cast over the forest floor. Entering the trees she remembered that Mirkwood was a dangerous place and so she took out her daggers. She jumped off her steed to lead him through the trees with her words to calm him.  
  
Suddenly, after a few hours of travelling under the shadow of the trees, a figure jumped down in front of her and she swiftly spun and caught the intruder round the waist with her dagger to his throat. Her captive grunted in surprise and then she heard a voice she recognised.  
  
"My lady, it is me; Elladan."  
  
She laughed and let him go, turning him to face her. "Elladan. How are you?"  
  
"Slightly taken aback by your attack but all the better for seeing you," he grinned.  
  
He led her through the forest and they talked as they went. "How is my prince?" she asked.  
  
Elladan smiled and looked across at the beautiful elf walking beside him. He was somewhat amused when the memory of her disappearance popped into his head. "Anxious to see you no doubt. But I have not heard much for I been out guarding the boarders."  
  
"Not causing enough trouble for you to hear of such a thing out here then?" Elladan laughed and shook his head. "How was your time in Rhun?"  
  
"It was good to see my home and all my friends again. But it seems that while I was gone, they were attacked by Saruman's remaining armies and a sorrow hangs over the city."  
  
"Oh," Elladan exclaimed. "I am sorry."  
  
"I think they are gradually getting back on their feet though. Our safe return brought some hope back to their hearts."  
  
"I am glad to hear that."  
  
They travelled through the night deeper into Mirkwood towards the city and Elimay felt a weird excitement in her gut, like the anticipation you feel when you're going to meet a long lost friend. She suddenly felt anxious; what if he had changed his mind? She knew the doubts were stupid but she still couldn't help it. The nearer she got, the more anxious she became. She became silent and Elladan noticed her anticipation and smiled to himself. He knew that as soon as Legolas and Elimay saw each other, her apprehension and doubt would be forgotten instantly.  
  
Thankfully they did not encounter anything unwanted in the forest along their route, and soon the great ivy-covered walls of the city could be seen through the trees in the early morning light.  
  
"You okay?" he asked, peering at Elimay's nervous and excited expression.  
  
"Yes," she squeaked. He rolled his eyes, giving a small smile and then led her to the right a bit along the wall. The gates came into view and when the guards spotted them, a horn was blown. Its noise rang through the air on the early morning currents.  
  
Legolas woke abruptly and sat up in bed. He blinked back sleep and frowned. He thought he had heard the sound of a horn... but it had probably been in his dream. He went to lie back down again when once again the clear sound of the horn rang through the treetops and over the roofs of Mirkwood.  
  
His heart leapt and he jumped out of bed, pulling his trousers on so urgently that he almost fell over as he got his foot stuck in them. As soon as he fastened them, he grabbed his shirt, running out of the door.  
  
He rushed down the stairs, pulling on his shirt at the same time, and doing up the buttons in haste.  
  
He was out in the courtyard in no time and looked around earnestly. She had to be here! They wouldn't blow the horn otherwise.  
  
Suddenly he heard voices and he spun round to see two figures entering the quad chatting light-heartedly. It was Elladan and... Elimay. "Eli!" she shouted, making her look round. Their eyes met and her lips curled into a wide smile of joy. All her nerves disappeared, just as Elladan had thought and she jumped up to him as he caught her round the waist and flung her round, her feet no longer touching the ground. She laughed happily and her heart felt like it was floating. They were both floating in their own world of happiness and love. Elladan crept back out of the courtyard leaving them to themselves.  
  
Legolas kissed her to make up for the many weeks of being apart and both realised that it did indeed make the heart grow fonder. Elimay wrapped her legs around his waist as he pulled her closer and savoured the taste of her.  
  
"So, you haven't changed your mind about wanting to marry me?" she murmured, rubbing her nose against his affectionately.  
  
"Not in all of eternity," he told her. He set her back down on the ground and swept the loose strands of hair back from her face, planting another kiss on her lips.  
  
She smiled, looking him up and down, but then she frowned. "Legolas?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Do you realise that you've done your buttons up wrong?"  
  
He looked down and saw that she was right. He laughed and put his arm round her waist, leading her into the palace. "It was only in haste to see you, melamin."  
  
She laughed and together they entered their home.  
  
A Prince and his Assassin.  
  
The End 


End file.
